Source: Asia Development Bank
ADB, AIIB, and the energy ministries of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support the Feasibility Study for the Caspian Green Energy Corridor Project. The initiative is part of ADB’s regional technical assistance for the project.
Source: China State Council Information Office 3
Three-Body Universe, the intellectual property holder and operator of China’s hit sci-fi franchise “The Three-Body Problem,” unveiled its latest entertainment innovations and expansion plans at the 2025 China Science Fiction Convention (CSFC 2025) in Beijing on March 30.
Liu Chun, vice president of Three-Body Universe, outlined a three-phase plan for “The Three-Body Problem” experiences at a sci-fi industry investment and financing event on March 30.
The first phase, he explained, involved licensing and self-produced content. The current second phase employs a hybrid approach that combines licensing with self-operation, promoting ecosystem co-creation through immersive experiences that evoke fan engagement and empathy.
China’s immersive entertainment market has expanded rapidly since 2018. By 2023, the sector had grown to include about 32,000 projects nationwide, creating nearly 928,000 jobs. The market size reached about 92.7 billion yuan ($13 billion), with a total output of around 193.3 billion yuan, marking a 31% annual growth rate. Liu projects that output for 2024 will surpass 240 billion yuan.
Today, consumers prefer to “live” stories instead of just watching them, Liu noted. This shift has fueled demand for experiences like murder mystery games, escape rooms, immersive theater, and virtual reality and augmented reality technologies.
“Sci-fi, with its limitless imaginative potential in depicting future worlds, time, dimensions, technology and philosophy, aligns perfectly with user demands and market expectations,” he said.
Liu Cixin’s Hugo Award-winning novel trilogy, “The Three-Body Problem,” is China’s bestselling sci-fi work, with about 40 million copies sold worldwide. The trilogy’s success has spawned numerous adaptations across multiple industries and inspired a wide range of merchandise.
In recent years, Three-Body Universe has leveraged the “Three-Body” IP to collaborate with the live entertainment, cultural and tourism sectors. It has launched several high-quality projects, including the Chinese stage drama “The Three-Body Problem,” which has had over 100 performances in 25 cities, drawing 200,000 attendees and earning 100 million yuan in ticket sales. Another project is the immersive sci-fi experience “The Three-Body Problem: Beyond Gravity,” which has a rating of 9.3 out of 10 on major domestic ticketing platforms. Additionally, “Exploring the Three-Body Problem” at Shanghai’s Madame Tussauds has attracted 150,000 visitors since its opening in June 2024.
As the company expanded its offerings, it began developing original content. In 2024, it introduced “Three-Body: Expedition,” a virtual reality interactive story that attracted over 40,000 users in its first month and maintained a 90% approval rating.
With advancements in cutting-edge interactive technologies such as VR and AI, Liu noted that sci-fi experiences now focus on emotional resonance, deep engagement, and social value rather than just visual spectacle. This shift transforms users from passive consumers into active co-creators, raising industry standards and expectations for developers and operators. In response, the company moved into Phase 2.0 and developed an integrated business model.
Last year, the first integrated sci-fi destination, the Three-Body: Four-Dimensional Space Sci-Fi Experience Center, was launched in Chengdu, Sichuan province. This center combines immersive exhibits, themed dining, VR experiences and retail, becoming both a hub for fans and a cultural landmark.
Another immersive sci-fi experience venue, “Three-Body: Space-Time Wander,” opened in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, on March 25, just before CSFC 2025. The facility boasts 20 cutting-edge attractions, including shooting games and motion simulators, along with a futuristic merchandise store, space-themed café and bookstore to complete the immersive experience. As of now, ticket sales have already exceeded 3 million yuan.
Liu also announced plans to co-create a Three-Body themed entertainment center in Shanghai’s Fengxian district this year. The company will also open another Three-Body themed center in Beijing, expanding on the “Three-Body: Expedition” experience with cutting-edge technologies such as real-time rendering, immersive VR, motion capture, and ultra-HD wireless transmission to bring the Three-Body world to life.
He revealed that the experience center will continually update its offerings, using digital technologies to elevate cultural tourism experiences and advance digital visual arts and science popularization. Liu emphasized that Three-Body Universe remains committed to promoting Chinese sci-fi globally. “With Chinese IP and cutting-edge technology, we share China’s vision with the world,” he said.
Liu expressed enthusiasm about future plans, which will include proposals for a Three-Body theme park. “With support from expanded film and TV productions, publishing, offline entertainment experiences, and merchandise, our ultimate goal is to enter Phase 3.0 — elevating China’s sci-fi content and entertainment integration to new heights,” he said.
Source: China State Council Information Office 2
Amid gentle sea breezes and blooming memorial flowers, and through 3D-printed facial restoration of the deceased and AI-powered farewells, China is breathing new life into traditional tomb-sweeping rituals on Qingming Festival, which falls on Friday.
With its dual identity as both a solar term and a festival, Qingming, which has a history of over 2,500 years, sees tens of millions honor ancestors through tomb-sweeping rituals, both on-site and online, embodying the Confucian ethos of “revering the departed to nurture virtue.”
In a modern twist on Qingming customs, technological and ecological approaches now vie with the more familiar incense and paper offerings.
Guided by green policies and shifting public attitudes, a quiet dialogue has unfolded between tradition and modernity, as green burials and minimalist tributes gain traction, blending the cultural heritage of this age-old Chinese day of remembrance with modern values.
ETERNAL REST IN THE BLUE
At dawn, 112 families boarded a charter boat off Tiger Beach in Dalian, a coastal city in northeast China’s Liaoning Province, and lowered biodegradable urns containing their loved ones’ ashes into the Bohai Sea.
Chrysanthemum petals and handwritten memorial cards floated on the waves as seagulls circled above — a tranquil alternative to smoke-heavy traditional open-air ritual burning.
“My father loved the ocean. Now, he’ll forever be a part of it,” said Yang Lijiao, who came from the provincial capital Shenyang, along with the other families on board. The ritual was organized by Shenyang’s only government-contracted sea burial service provider.
Her eyes fixed on her father’s urn as it drifted away before slowly descending into the depths. “Wherever the ocean flows, Dad’s memory will live on.”
Liaoning has pioneered sea burials for over a decade, offering services in cities like Dalian, Yingkou and Dandong. Official statistics show that a total of 71,386 sea burials were performed between 2012 and 2023, saving approximately 290,000 square meters of land — equivalent to 40 soccer fields.
“Policy upgrades and public outreach have driven sea burial adoption,” explained Yao Ning from Shenyang’s civil affairs bureau. The province now provides subsidies of up to 2,000 yuan (about 278 U.S. dollars) per sea burial.
In 2016, China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs and eight other departments jointly issued guidelines promoting land-saving eco-burials, encouraging sustainable ashes disposition via sea or tree burials, or urn storage.
To date, 28 provincial-level regions nationwide have adopted eco-burial policies with financial incentives and infrastructure investments, according to an official with the ministry. Multiple regions now offer higher sea burial subsidies, streamlined procedures and humane services, driving growing public adoption.
Beijing has conducted nearly 40,000 sea burials since 1994, now representing 4 percent of the city’s annual cremations. In the neighboring Hebei Province, 30 pilot eco-burial sites were green-lighted last year, aiming to set the stage for gradual province-wide adoption.
“Traditional burial practices have become unsustainable in their land consumption,” said Wang Yi, associate professor at Tianjin University, adding that the shift in Qingming rituals reflects the public’s growing ecological awareness. “Sea and tree burials, with their land-free designs, offer sustainable alternatives that reduce pressure on limited land resources.”
TECH WARMS GOODBYES
During a recent open day at the Guangzhou Funeral & Interment Service Center in south China, local residents observed technology merging with tradition: 3D-printed facial restoration of the departed, AI-curated memorial videos reviving personal histories, and robotic urn bearers operating with ceremonial precision.
In the center’s mortuary restoration lab, Li Fajun, a mortician, led a team using 3D scanning and printing to recreate lifelike facial contours for the deceased. Their “3D wound mapping” technique digitally reconstructs facial features with unprecedented accuracy, allowing highly authentic reconstruction for those whose appearances were affected by trauma or illness.
Through a meticulous process combining 3D-printed molds and specialized cosmetic techniques, the departed can be restored to their natural appearance for their final goodbyes. The lab has also secured national patents for its self-developed high-efficiency composite embalming agent and 3D-printed surface restoration device.
“These patented technologies allow families to see their loved ones at peace,” Li said. “We’re not just repairing appearances. We’re healing families’ grief.”
Among the team’s younger members is Zhao Zhihui, a mortuary science graduate, who regards the work as “building the last bridge between the departed and their loved ones.”
As technology reshapes modern life, it’s also redefining how China faces death, with growing numbers embracing innovative approaches such as AI memorials or virtual ceremonies to honor their departed loved ones.
Beyond Guangzhou, tech-infused memorials are reshaping China’s funeral culture. In Beijing, over 100,000 families have opted for “life gemstones” — cremated ashes transformed into crystalline keepsakes via high-pressure synthesis. Meanwhile, Dalian’s sea burial memorials feature LED walls displaying names, embodying the growing acceptance of “returning to nature.”
“Tech-driven memorials reflect modern trends,” commented Wang, noting that faster lifestyles and greater mobility reduce opportunities for physical grave visits, she linked this shift to digital memorials’ growth, whose efficiency and visual appeal further boost adoption. Yet AI shouldn’t replace all traditions, she warned, as rites like tomb-sweeping demand physical presence, a practice central to filial piety that virtual interactions cannot replicate.
Hong Chang, professor at Tianjin Foreign Studies University, viewed AI-assisted memorials and sea burials as adaptations of tradition to modernization, with AI streamlining remembrance and eco-burials addressing environmental concerns. “Yet we should balance innovation with cultural heritage as we retain the essence of Qingming rituals.”
These innovations signal a societal shift: as environmental awareness grows, Chinese families increasingly honor the departed through more diverse practices from AI-preserved memories to green burials. This fusion of technology and sustainability creates new forms of reverence without severing ties to tradition.
Source: China State Council Information Office 2
As silicon chips approach the limits of their physical scale, scientists are pioneering ultra-thin designs to boost computational performance.
A Chinese research team has developed a semiconductor microprocessor just a few atomic layers thick. The chip, WUJI, is a 32-bit RISC-V processor based on two-dimensional semiconductors.
RISC-V is an architecture known for being free and open-source, and for its design flexibility and low power consumption.
The microprocessor has 5,900 transistors and a complete standard cell library containing 25 types of logic units, and can perform addition and subtraction operations on up to 4.2 billion data points, allowing for the programming of up to 1 billion instructions, according to Zhou Peng at Fudan University.
The 2D logic circuits have been designed in alignment with advances in silicon integrated circuits, as has an optimized process flow, according to the study, the details of which were published in Nature this week.
The research team leveraged innovative AI algorithms to enable precise control from material-growth to integration processes, said Zhou, the paper’s corresponding author.
The team’s approach to manufacturing and design has successfully tackled the major challenges of wafer-scale integration for 2D circuits, resulting in a groundbreaking microprocessor prototype that demonstrates the vast potential of 2D integrated-circuit technology beyond the standard silicon, according to the researchers.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced the Promoting United States Leadership in Standards Act to restore America’s position as a leader in international standards setting for emerging technologies.
For decades, the United States led the world in developing new technologies, which allowed our country to set the rules of the road when it came to global standards for those technologies. However, in recent years, Chinese companies backed by the Chinese Communist Party have overtaken the U.S., which has allowed our adversary to influence standards in ways that further their own interests.
“The Chinese Communist Party has made it their mission to undermine the U.S. and our interests around the globe by exploiting our deficiencies,” said Senator Blackburn. “As our adversary ramps up efforts to dominate global standards for emerging technologies, the U.S. must be a global leader in innovation, and that includes setting standards that reflect our interests and values.”
“In recent years, the Communist Party of China has asserted their dominance in the global technology space, and as their status has risen, our authority and influence has fallen,” said Senator Warner. “This legislation clearly outlines steps we must take to reestablish our leadership and ensure that we are doing all we can to set the global standards for critical and emerging technologies.”
Standards-setting bodies make critical decisions not only relating to technical specifications, but also relating to values, such as openness, safety, and accessibility, embedded in emerging technologies.
Specifically, the Promoting United States Leadership in Standards Act would:
Require the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to submit a report to Congress that identifies current U.S. participation in standards development activities for AI and other Critical and Emerging Technologies (CETs);
Create an easy-to-access web portal to help stakeholders navigate and actively engage in international standardization efforts. The portal would include a list of relevant standards and information about how to participate in standardization activities related to AI and other CETs;
Establish a pilot program to award $10 million in grants over 4 years to support the hosting of standards meetings for AI and other CETs in the U.S.;
Create a report to Congress, after the third year of the program, that identifies grant recipients, provides a summary of expenses, assesses the effectiveness of the program to grow the number of standards meetings in the U.S., and shows the geographic distribution of event attendees.
Click here to read the bill text.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Note: The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
SEL9
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Tornado Watch Number 119
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
850 PM CDT Fri Apr 4 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Tornado Watch for portions of
Arkansas
Northwest Louisiana
Missouri Bootheel
Northwest Tennessee
Northeast Texas
* Effective this Friday night and Saturday morning from 850 PM
until 400 AM CDT.
* Primary threats include…
A few tornadoes and a couple intense tornadoes likely
Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
inches in diameter possible
SUMMARY…A line of occasionally intense thunderstorms with embedded
supercells will track slowly eastward across the watch area
overnight. Favorable instability and shear profiles will maintain a
risk of a few tornadoes, along with damaging winds and large hail.
The tornado watch area is approximately along and 55 statute miles
east and west of a line from 30 miles south of Longview TX to 40
miles northeast of Walnut Ridge AR. For a complete depiction of the
watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU9).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
and possible warnings.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 113…WW 115…WW 118…
AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
storm motion vector 23035.
…Hart
SEL9
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Tornado Watch Number 119
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
850 PM CDT Fri Apr 4 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Tornado Watch for portions of
Arkansas
Northwest Louisiana
Missouri Bootheel
Northwest Tennessee
Northeast Texas
* Effective this Friday night and Saturday morning from 850 PM
until 400 AM CDT.
* Primary threats include…
A few tornadoes and a couple intense tornadoes likely
Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
inches in diameter possible
SUMMARY…A line of occasionally intense thunderstorms with embedded
supercells will track slowly eastward across the watch area
overnight. Favorable instability and shear profiles will maintain a
risk of a few tornadoes, along with damaging winds and large hail.
The tornado watch area is approximately along and 55 statute miles
east and west of a line from 30 miles south of Longview TX to 40
miles northeast of Walnut Ridge AR. For a complete depiction of the
watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU9).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
and possible warnings.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 113…WW 115…WW 118…
AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
storm motion vector 23035.
…Hart
Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
SAW9
WW 119 TORNADO AR LA MO TN TX 050150Z – 050900Z
AXIS..55 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
30S GGG/LONGVIEW TX/ – 40NE ARG/WALNUT RIDGE AR/
..AVIATION COORDS.. 50NM E/W /29S GGG – 36NE ARG/
HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23035.
LAT…LON 31949566 36539141 36538943 31949378
THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
FOR WOU9.
Watch 119 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.
Note: Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes
Probability of 2 or more tornadoes
High (70%)
Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes
Mod (60%)
Wind
Probability of 10 or more severe wind events
Mod (60%)
Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots
Low (20%)
Hail
Probability of 10 or more severe hail events
Mod (50%)
Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches
Mod (50%)
Combined Severe Hail/Wind
Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events
High (90%)
For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
BROADCAST-QUALITY VIDEO IS AVAILABLE HERE.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, spoke on the Senate floor to highlight his strong opposition to Republicans’ budget plan. President Donald Trump and Republicans are proposing using the revenue from tariffs and massive, across-the-board cuts to programs that Virginians rely on—including Medicaid—to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Republicans are using a legislative process known as “reconciliation,” which allows certain legislation to be expedited and passed in the Senate by a simple majority, avoiding the 60-vote threshold needed for most other legislation.
“President Trump deemed these tariffs as ‘reciprocal tariffs,’ but I got another phrase for them: They are economic idiocy,” said Kaine. “They will hurt our families, they will hurt our businesses, they will hurt our farmers, and all the economic signs suggest that President Trump is flipping the world’s strongest economy toward recession.”
“President Trump started with the strongest economy in the world the day he was inaugurated—a strong stock market, strong consumer confidence, strong growth rates and growth projections, manufacturing up, infrastructure up, America building again,” Kaine continued. “In two months, his chaotic economic idiocy has turned it around… the American economy has nothing but red lights and question marks all over it.”
“Trump says these are reciprocal tariffs—we are putting tariffs on nations who are treating us unfairly in trade. But he’s imposing tariffs even on nations that put no tariffs on U.S. products, that have no trade barriers on U.S. products,” Kaine continued. “He said he was imposing tariffs on nations where the U.S. has trade deficits … but guess what? We have trade surpluses with Brazil, Australia, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Singapore, and the U.K. So what did Donald Trump do? He put tariffs on them anyway.”
“The tariffs are not designed to punish adversaries since we are hurting allies and treating them worse than adversaries in many ways. The tariffs are not designed to lower trade barriers since nations with no trade barriers are still getting socked. The tariffs are not designed to counter trade deficits since nations where we have trade surpluses are getting socked,” Kaine said. “So why do them at all? Why punish Americans with a national sales tax, which all the economists say is the largest peacetime tax ever imposed in U.S. history?”
“It’s about raising money to fund a tax cut for the rich,” Kaine continued. “These tariffs will raise $6 trillion over the course of the next 10 years—about $600 billion all taken out of the pockets of everyday Americans who are paying more for groceries, who are paying more for building supplies when they do a home renovation, farmers who are paying more for fertilizer… the $6 trillion dollars that these tariffs will raise all come out of the pocketbooks of Americans who are working hard and who don’t want to pay more taxes.”
“President Trump and my colleagues here are setting up a budget where they’ll take that $6 trillion and they’ll add to it all of these ‘slash-and-burn’ cuts,” Kaine said. “They’ll combine the tariff revenue with the savings from Medicaid cuts or cuts to school nutrition or cuts to the Pell Grant program, and then they will take all of that revenue and hand it over to the richest people in this country, many of whom are the richest people on the Planet Earth.”
“That’s what we’re going to fight against in this budget, and in the same way that we succeeded by getting Republicans to vote with us against the Canadian tariffs a few days ago, it is my hope that when we get to the end of this process, we will have some Republican colleagues, in this house and the next, who will stand up against a President who thinks one man can shatter the economy and impose costs on everyday people to benefit himself and his friends,” Kaine concluded.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Note: The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
SEL8
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 118
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
510 PM CDT Fri Apr 4 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
South Central Illinois
Southern Missouri
* Effective this Friday afternoon from 510 PM until Midnight CDT.
* Primary threats include…
Scattered damaging wind gusts to 60 mph likely
Scattered large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter likely
A tornado or two possible
SUMMARY…Clusters of thunderstorms will overspread the watch area
through the evening, posing a risk of large hail and perhaps locally
damaging wind gusts.
The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 40
statute miles north and south of a line from 30 miles south of
Springfield MO to 50 miles east of Mount Vernon IL. For a complete
depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
(WOUS64 KWNS WOU8).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
tornadoes.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 113…WW 114…WW
115…WW 116…WW 117…
AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 50 knots. A
few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 450. Mean storm motion vector
24035.
…Hart
SEL8
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 118
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
510 PM CDT Fri Apr 4 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
South Central Illinois
Southern Missouri
* Effective this Friday afternoon from 510 PM until Midnight CDT.
* Primary threats include…
Scattered damaging wind gusts to 60 mph likely
Scattered large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter likely
A tornado or two possible
SUMMARY…Clusters of thunderstorms will overspread the watch area
through the evening, posing a risk of large hail and perhaps locally
damaging wind gusts.
The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 40
statute miles north and south of a line from 30 miles south of
Springfield MO to 50 miles east of Mount Vernon IL. For a complete
depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
(WOUS64 KWNS WOU8).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
tornadoes.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 113…WW 114…WW
115…WW 116…WW 117…
AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 50 knots. A
few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 450. Mean storm motion vector
24035.
…Hart
Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
SAW8
WW 118 SEVERE TSTM IL MO 042210Z – 050500Z
AXIS..40 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF LINE..
30S SGF/SPRINGFIELD MO/ – 50E MVN/MOUNT VERNON IL/
..AVIATION COORDS.. 35NM N/S /35S SGF – 25NNW PXV/
HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1.5 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..50 KNOTS.
MAX TOPS TO 450. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24035.
LAT…LON 37369338 38908795 37748795 36219338
THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
FOR WOU8.
Watch 118 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.
Note: Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes
Probability of 2 or more tornadoes
Low (20%)
Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes
Low (10%)
Wind
Probability of 10 or more severe wind events
Mod (60%)
Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots
Low (20%)
Hail
Probability of 10 or more severe hail events
Mod (60%)
Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches
Low (10%)
Combined Severe Hail/Wind
Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events
High (>95%)
For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
102% increase in deployed hashrate from an average of 4.6 EH/s in February 2025 to 9.3 EH/s as of the end of March 2025
31% improvement in fleet efficiency from an average of 29.3 J/TH in February 2025 to 20.1 J/TH as of the end of March 2025
Launch of American Bitcoin in partnership with Eric Trump
MIAMI, April 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hut 8 Corp. (Nasdaq | TSX: HUT) (“Hut 8” or the “Company”), an energy infrastructure platform integrating power, digital infrastructure, and compute at scale to fuel next-generation, energy-intensive use cases such as Bitcoin mining and high-performance computing, today released its operations update for March 2025.
“This month, we achieved strong alignment between operational momentum and long-term strategic direction,” said Asher Genoot, CEO of Hut 8. “Thanks to our team’s disciplined execution, our fleet upgrade has already more than doubled deployed hashrate to 9.3 EH/s while driving fleet efficiency down to 20.1 J/TH as of the end of March.”
“This operational progress set the stage for a pivotal milestone in our platform strategy: the carveout of substantially all of our ASIC miners into American Bitcoin, a standalone mining entity and majority-owned subsidiary of Hut 8 purpose-built for scale, speed, and capital efficiency. We are excited to launch American Bitcoin in partnership with Eric Trump and to welcome him as a strategic advisor to Hut 8 as we scale our platform.”
“As we advance the evolution of Hut 8 toward Power and Digital Infrastructure, we are also evolving our approach to disclosure. Going forward, Hut 8 will no longer publish monthly operational updates. Instead, we’ll provide more holistic updates on a quarterly basis or as material developments arise, aligning with disclosure standards followed by peers in the energy and digital infrastructure sectors.”
“Importantly, the ASIC miners we now operate for American Bitcoin generate revenue for Hut 8 across two distinct reporting segments: Managed Services within Power and ASIC Colocation within Digital Infrastructure.”
Highlights
Operating Metrics
| March 2025 | February 2025 | |
| As of the end of the period | Average during the period unless otherwise noted | |
| Total energy capacity under management (mining)1,3 | 665 MW | 665 MW2 |
| Total deployed miners under management4 | 120.8K | 109.2K |
| Total hashrate under management5 | 16.9 EH/s | 12.3 EH/s |
| Bitcoin Mining6 | ||
| Deployed miners7,8 | 53.8K | 41.5K |
| Deployed hashrate9 | 9.3 EH/s | 4.6 EH/s |
| Fleet efficiency | 20.1 J/TH | 29.3 J/TH |
| Bitcoin produced10 | 88 BTC | 46 BTC2 |
| Bitcoin held in reserve11 | 10,264 BTC | 10,237 BTC2 |
| Managed Services12 | ||
| Energy capacity under management | 280 MW | 280 MW2 |
| Deployed miners under management8 | 83.8K | 84.4K |
| Hashrate under management | 9.3 EH/s | 9.4 EH/s |
| ASIC Colocation | ||
| Deployed miners under management8,13 | 67.0K | 67.7K |
| Hashrate under management14 | 7.6 EH/s | 7.7 EH/s |
Energy Infrastructure Platform2
| Contracted Revenue Stream(s)15 | ||||||||||
| Site | Location | Owner16 | Power Capacity | Bitcoin Mining | Managed Services | ASIC Colocation | CPU Colocation / Data Center Cloud | Power Generation | ||
| Vega17 | Texas Panhandle | Hut 8 | 205 MW | Yes | ||||||
| Medicine Hat | Medicine Hat, AB | Hut 8 | 67 MW | Yes18 | ||||||
| Salt Creek | Orla, TX | Hut 8 | 63 MW | Yes18 | ||||||
| Alpha | Niagara Falls, NY | Hut 8 | 50 MW | Yes18 | ||||||
| Drumheller19 | Drumheller, AB | Hut 8 | 42 MW | |||||||
| Kelowna | Kelowna, BC | Hut 8 | 1.1 MW | Yes | ||||||
| Mississauga | Mississauga, ON | Hut 8 | 0.9 MW | Yes | ||||||
| Vaughan | Vaughan, ON | Hut 8 | 0.6 MW | Yes | ||||||
| Vancouver II | Vancouver, BC | Hut 8 | 0.5 MW | Yes | ||||||
| Vancouver I | Vancouver, BC | Hut 8 | 0.3 MW | Yes | ||||||
| King Mountain20 | McCamey, TX | Hut 8 (JV) | 280 MW | Yes18 | Yes | Yes | ||||
| Iroquois Falls21 | Iroquois Falls, ON | Hut 8 (JV) | 120 MW | Yes | ||||||
| Kingston21 | Kingston, ON | Hut 8 (JV) | 110 MW | Yes | ||||||
| North Bay21 | North Bay, ON | Hut 8 (JV) | 40 MW | Yes | ||||||
| Kapuskasing21 | Kapuskasing, ON | Hut 8 (JV) | 40 MW | Yes | ||||||
| Total | 1,020 MW | |||||||||
| Notes: | ||
| (1) | Energy capacity under management (mining) includes (i) 180 MW of Bitcoin Mining sites comprised of Alpha, Medicine Hat, and Salt Creek, (ii) 205 MW of ASIC Colocation capacity at Vega, which is currently under construction, and (iii) 280 MW of capacity under management at King Mountain. | |
| (2) | As of the end of the period. | |
| (3) | Includes 205 MW of capacity at Vega as the site is expected to host miners for BITMAIN. | |
| (4) | Includes all miners that are racked with power and networking, rounded to the nearest 100, in Bitcoin Mining, Managed Services, and ASIC Colocation infrastructure with power and networking, including all miners at the King Mountain site. | |
| (5) | Includes all Bitcoin Mining, Managed Services, and ASIC Colocation hashrate, including 100% of the hashrate at the King Mountain site. | |
| (6) | Bitcoin Mining operations for Hut 8 include 100% of operations at the King Mountain site. | |
| (7) | Deployed miners are defined as those physically racked with power and networking, rounded to the nearest 100; deployed Bitcoin Mining miners net of the 50% share of the King Mountain JV held by Hut 8’s joint venture partner was 45.4K during March and 33.1K during February. | |
| (8) | Miners are rounded to the nearest 100. | |
| (9) | Indicates the target hashrate of all deployed miners; deployed Bitcoin Mining hashrate net of the 50% share of the King Mountain JV held by Hut 8’s joint venture partner was 8.5 EH/s during March and 3.8 EH/s during February. | |
| (10) | Bitcoin produced net of the 50% share of the King Mountain JV held by Hut 8’s joint venture partner was 78 during March and 38 BTC during February. | |
| (11) | Includes 968 Bitcoin pledged and transferred to a third-party wallet to finance Hut’s previously announced fleet upgrade. | |
| (12) | Managed Services includes 280 MW of capacity under management at King Mountain. | |
| (13) | 41.9K deployed miners under management net of the 50% share of the King Mountain JV held by Hut 8’s joint venture partner during March compared to 33.8K during February. | |
| (14) | 4.7 EH/s under management net of Hut 8’s joint venture partner’s 50% share of the King Mountain JV during March compared to 3.8 EH/s during February. | |
| (15) | Reflects revenue sources to Hut 8, its subsidiaries, and/or joint ventures in which they participate during the period. | |
| (16) | Owned denotes ownership of power infrastructure at owned or leased data center locations, except for HPC sites where owned denotes ownership of mechanical and electrical infrastructure at leased data center locations. | |
| (17) | Site is currently under development. | |
| (18) | As of April 1, 2025, as a result of the launch of American Bitcoin, the site no longer generates revenue under Bitcoin Mining and instead generates revenue under Managed Services and ASIC Colocation. | |
| (19) | Site currently shut down; Hut 8 maintaining lease with option value of re-energizing site. | |
| (20) | Owned by a JV between Hut 8 and a Fortune 200 renewable energy producer in which Hut 8 has an approximately 50% membership interest. | |
| (21) | Owned by a JV between Hut 8 and Macquarie in which Hut 8 has an approximately 80% membership interest. | |
About Hut 8
Hut 8 Corp. is an energy infrastructure platform integrating power, digital infrastructure, and compute at scale to fuel next-generation, energy-intensive use cases such as Bitcoin mining and high-potential computing. We take a power-first, innovation-driven approach to developing, commercializing, and operating the critical infrastructure that underpins the breakthrough technologies of today and tomorrow. Our platform spans 1,020 megawatts of energy capacity under management across 15 sites in the United States and Canada: five colocation and Managed Services sites in Alberta, New York, and Texas, five high performance computing data centers in British Columbia and Ontario, four power generation assets in Ontario, and one non-operational site in Alberta. For more information, visit www.hut8.com and follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @Hut8Corp.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward–Looking Information
This press release includes “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and United States securities laws, respectively (collectively, “forward-looking information”). All information, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events, or developments that Hut 8 expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including statements relating to the Company’s platform strategy and evolution, including the success of American Bitcoin.
Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts, but instead represent management’s expectations, estimates, and projections regarding future events based on certain material factors and assumptions at the time the statement was made. While considered reasonable by Hut 8 as of the date of this press release, such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including, but not limited to, failure of critical systems; geopolitical, social, economic, and other events and circumstances; competition from current and future competitors; risks related to power requirements; cybersecurity threats and breaches; hazards and operational risks; changes in leasing arrangements; Internet-related disruptions; dependence on key personnel; having a limited operating history; attracting and retaining customers; entering into new offerings or lines of business; price fluctuations and rapidly changing technologies; construction of new data centers, data center expansions, or data center redevelopment; predicting facility requirements; strategic alliances or joint ventures; operating and expanding internationally; failing to grow hashrate; purchasing miners; relying on third-party mining pool service providers; uncertainty in the development and acceptance of the Bitcoin network; Bitcoin halving events; competition from other methods of investing in Bitcoin; concentration of Bitcoin holdings; hedging transactions; potential liquidity constraints; legal, regulatory, governmental, and technological uncertainties; physical risks related to climate change; involvement in legal proceedings; trading volatility; and other risks described from time to time in Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In particular, see the Company’s recent and upcoming annual and quarterly reports and other continuous disclosure documents, which are available under the Company’s EDGAR profile at www.sec.gov and SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.
Hut 8 Corp. Investor Relations
Sue Ennis
ir@hut8.com
Hut 8 Corp. Public Relations
Gautier Lemyze-Young
gautier.young@hut8.com
Source: The White House
Here is a non-comprehensive list of wins in week 11:
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Note: The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
SEL7
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 117
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
500 PM EDT Fri Apr 4 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
South central and southeast Kentucky
* Effective this Friday afternoon and evening from 500 PM until
1000 PM EDT.
* Primary threats include…
Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
inches in diameter possible
Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible
SUMMARY…Isolated warm sector supercells will persist through the
afternoon/evening with the potential to produce large hail of 1-2
inches in diameter and isolated damaging gusts of 60-70 mph.
The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 40
statute miles north and south of a line from 35 miles west northwest
of Bowling Green KY to 25 miles south southeast of Jackson KY. For a
complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline
update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU7).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
tornadoes.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 113…WW 114…WW
115…WW 116…
AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A
few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
25025.
…Thompson
Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
SAW7
WW 117 SEVERE TSTM KY 042100Z – 050200Z
AXIS..40 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF LINE..
35WNW BWG/BOWLING GREEN KY/ – 25SSE JKL/JACKSON KY/
..AVIATION COORDS.. 35NM N/S /31WNW BWG – 45ENE LOZ/
HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25025.
LAT…LON 37748701 37788321 36638321 36588701
THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
FOR WOU7.
Watch 117 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.
Note: Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes
Probability of 2 or more tornadoes
Low (10%)
Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes
Low (5%)
Wind
Probability of 10 or more severe wind events
Mod (40%)
Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots
Low (20%)
Hail
Probability of 10 or more severe hail events
Mod (40%)
Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches
Mod (30%)
Combined Severe Hail/Wind
Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events
High (70%)
For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.
Source: Government of Canada regional news
Eligible voters are voting on whether to ratify the Kitselas Treaty and self-government Constitution. While voting has been in progress online and through mail-in ballots, the in-person vote is being held on April 10, 2025.
In June 2024, the chief negotiators from all three parties — Kitselas First Nation (Kitselas), the Government of Canada (Canada), and the Government of British Columbia (B.C.) — initialled the Kitselas Treaty. This milestone in the treaty negotiations process signalled the conclusion of substantive negotiations, subject to certain caveats such as ongoing legal and technical review and consultation with neighbouring First Nations. The legal and technical review of the treaty concluded in January 2025, resulting in the ratification version of the Kitselas Treaty.
Ratification is the approval process that treaties must go through before they can come into effect. The first step in this process is the Kitselas ratification vote. To ratify, the treaty and constitution require a double majority vote outcome by Kitselas eligible voters. This means more than 50% of eligible voters on the voters list cast a ballot, and more than 50% of those voters cast a ballot in favour of the treaty and constitution.
Should eligible voters vote in favour of ratifying the Kitselas Treaty and Constitution, B.C. and Canada will undergo their own respective ratification approval processes. This includes passing provincial, and then federal treaty implementation legislation to bring the Kitselas Treaty into law. If ratified by all three parties, the effective date for the treaty is anticipated for 2028.
Kitselas entered treaty negotiations in the early 1990s. Working closely with the BC Treaty Commission, an independent facilitator of the made-in-B.C. treaty negotiations framework, negotiators for Kitselas, Canada, and B.C. reached an agreement-in-principle (AIP) in 2015. The AIP established agreement on the substantive elements to be detailed in the completed treaty.
In the years since, Kitselas, B.C. and Canada have engaged with local and regional governments, industry, interest holders, and people in the region on various elements of the proposed treaty. Kitselas has worked closely with its local government partners to invest in shared services and regional economic development. B.C. and Canada are also continuing Crown consultation with neighbouring First Nations including those with overlapping territories.
Engagement has provided opportunities for people to share their needs and shape treaty provisions. As a result, the ratification version of the Kitselas Treaty reflects work together on shared regional priorities established in the 2015 AIP.
If ratified, the treaty would:
Once the ratification vote is complete, there will be further opportunities for regional and public engagement as well as ongoing consultation with neighbouring First Nations.
Learn More:
For more information, including the ratification version of the Kitselas Treaty, visit:
For treaty and enrolment information for eligible voters, visit: https://kitselastreaty.ca/
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
STAMFORD, Conn., April 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Grayscale Investments®, a leading crypto asset management firm, offering more than 30 crypto investment products, and manager of Grayscale® Digital Large Cap Fund (OTCQX: GDLC) (Digital Large Cap Fund), Grayscale® Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Fund (OTCQB: DEFG) (DeFi Fund), Grayscale® Smart Contract Fund (GSC Fund), and Grayscale® Decentralized AI Fund (AI Fund), today announced the updated Fund Component weightings for each product in connection with their respective first quarter 2025 reviews.
In accordance with the CoinDesk Large Cap Select Index methodology, Grayscale has adjusted GDLC’s portfolio by purchasing and selling the existing Fund Components in proportion to their respective weightings. At the end of the day on April 3, 2025, GDLC’s Fund Components were a basket of the following assets and weightings*:
In accordance with the CoinDesk DeFi Select Index methodology, Grayscale has adjusted DEFG’s portfolio by purchasing and selling the existing Fund Components in proportion to their respective weightings. At the end of the day on April 3, 2025, DEFG’s Fund Components were a basket of the following assets and weightings*:
In accordance with the CoinDesk Smart Contract Platform Select Capped Index methodology, Grayscale has adjusted GSC Fund’s portfolio by selling NEAR Protocol (NEAR) and existing Fund Components in proportion to their respective weightings, and using the cash proceeds to purchase existing Fund Components in proportion to their respective weightings. As a result of the rebalancing, NEAR was removed from GSC Fund. At the end of the day on April 3, 2025, GSC Fund’s Fund Components were a basket of the following assets and weightings*:
In accordance with AI Fund methodology, Grayscale has adjusted AI Fund’s portfolio by selling Livepeer (LPT) and existing Fund Components in proportion to their respective weightings, and using the cash proceeds to purchase existing Fund Components in proportion to their respective weightings. As a result of the rebalancing, LPT was removed from AI Fund. At the end of the day on April 3, 2025, AI Fund’s Fund Components were a basket of the following assets and weightings**:
None of GDLC, DEFG, GSC, or AI Fund generate any income, and all regularly distribute Fund Components to pay for ongoing expenses. Therefore, the amount of Fund Components represented by shares of each fund gradually decreases over time.
For more information, please visit grayscale.com.
This press release is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security in any jurisdiction where such an offer or solicitation would be illegal, nor shall there be any sale of any security in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of that jurisdiction.
*The compositions of GDLC, DEFG, and GSC Fund are evaluated on a quarterly basis to remove existing Fund Components or to include new Fund Components, in accordance with the index methodologies established by the Index Provider. Holdings and weightings of each Fund are subject to change. Investors cannot directly invest in an index.
**The composition of the AI Fund is evaluated on a quarterly basis to remove existing Fund Components or to include new Fund Components, in accordance with the fund methodology established by Grayscale as the Manager of the Fund. Holdings and weightings of the AI Fund are subject to change.
About Grayscale® Digital Large Cap Fund
Digital Large Cap Fund seeks to provide investors with exposure to large-cap coverage of the digital asset market through a market cap-weighted portfolio designed to track the CoinDesk Large Cap Select Index. Digital Large Cap Fund holds the largest and most liquid digital assets that meet certain trading and custody requirements and are classified in the CoinDesk Digital Asset Classification Standard (DACS); the weightings of each Fund Component change daily and are published around 4:00 p.m. NY-time. Additional information on the Index methodology can be found at: https://www.coindesk.com/indices/dlcs/.
Digital Large Cap Fund’s investment objective is for its Shares to reflect the value of Fund Components held by the Digital Large Cap Fund, less its expenses and other liabilities. To date, the Digital Large Cap Fund has not met its investment objective and the Shares quoted on OTCQX have not reflected the value of Fund Components held by the Digital Large Cap Fund, less the Digital Large Cap Fund’s expenses and other liabilities, but instead have traded at both premiums and discounts to such value, with variations that have at times been substantial.
Grayscale Digital Large Cap Fund LLC (“GDLC”) has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents GDLC has filed with the SEC for more complete information about GDLC and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, GDLC or any authorized participant will arrange to send you the prospectus after filing if you request it by emailing info@grayscale.com or by contacting Grayscale Securities, 290 Harbor Drive, Stamford, CT 06902.
About Grayscale® Decentralized Finance Fund
DeFi Fund seeks to provide investors with exposure to a selection of industry-leading decentralized finance platforms through a market cap-weighted portfolio designed to track the CoinDesk DeFi Select Index. DeFi Fund holds some of the largest and most liquid digital assets that meet certain trading and custody requirements and are classified in the DeFi sector defined by CoinDesk Digital Asset Classification Standard (DACS); the weightings of each Fund Component change daily and are published around 4:00 p.m. NY-time. Additional information on the CoinDesk DeFi Select Index methodology can be found at: https://www.coindesk.com/indices/dfx/.
DeFi Fund’s investment objective is for its Shares to reflect the value of Fund Components held by the DeFi Fund, less its expenses and other liabilities. To date, the DeFi Fund has not met its investment objective and the Shares quoted on OTCQB have not reflected the value of Fund Components held by the DeFi Fund, less the DeFi Fund’s expenses and other liabilities, but instead have traded at both premiums and discounts to such value, with variations that have at times been substantial.
About Grayscale® Smart Contract Fund
GSC Fund seeks to provide investors with exposure to a selection of industry-leading Smart Contract Platforms through a market cap-weighted portfolio subject to a weightings cap, designed to track the CoinDesk Smart Contract Platform Select Capped Index. GSC Fund holds some of the largest and most liquid digital assets that meet certain trading and custody requirements, and are classified in the Smart Contract Platform sector defined by CoinDesk Digital Asset Classification Standard (DACS); the weightings of each Fund Component change daily and are published around 4:00 p.m. NY-time.
Grayscale intends to attempt to have shares of this product quoted on a secondary market. However, there is no guarantee this will be successful. Although the shares of certain products have been approved for trading on a secondary market, investors in this product should not assume that the shares will ever obtain such an approval due to a variety of factors, including questions regulators such as the SEC, FINRA or other regulatory bodies may have regarding the product. As a result, shareholders of this product should be prepared to bear the risk of investment in the shares indefinitely.
Smart contracts are a new technology and ongoing development may magnify initial problems, cause volatility on the networks that use smart contracts and reduce interest in them, which could have an adverse impact on the value of digital assets that deploy smart contracts.
Extreme volatility of trading prices that many digital assets have experienced in recent periods and may continue to experience, could have a material adverse effect on the value of the products and the shares could lose all or substantially all of their value.
Grayscale Investments Sponsors, LLC (“Grayscale Investments”) is not registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and none of the investment products sponsored or managed by Grayscale are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
About Grayscale® Decentralized AI Fund
AI Fund seeks to provide investors with exposure to protocols building Decentralized AI services, protocols building solutions to centralized AI-related problems, and infrastructure and resources critical to AI technology development.
Grayscale intends to attempt to have shares of this new product quoted on a secondary market. However, there is no guarantee this will be successful. Although the shares of certain products have been approved for trading on a secondary market, investors in this product should not assume that the shares will ever obtain such an approval due to a variety of factors, including questions regulators such as the SEC, FINRA or other regulatory bodies may have regarding the product. As a result, shareholders of this product should be prepared to bear the risk of investment in the shares indefinitely.
Decentralized AI is a new technology and ongoing development may magnify initial problems, cause volatility on the networks that use decentralized AI and reduce interest in them, which could have an adverse impact on the value of digital assets that rely on decentralized AI.
Extreme volatility of trading prices that many digital assets have experienced in recent periods and may continue to experience, could have a material adverse effect on the value of the products and the shares could lose all or substantially all of their value.
About Grayscale Investments®
Grayscale enables investors to access the digital economy through a family of future-forward investment products. Founded in 2013, Grayscale has a decade-long track record and deep expertise as an asset management firm focused on crypto investing. Investors, advisors, and allocators turn to Grayscale for single asset, diversified, and thematic exposure. Grayscale products are distributed by Grayscale Securities, LLC (Member FINRA/SIPC).
Media Contact
press@grayscale.com
Client Contact
866-775-0313
info@grayscale.com
Source: United Nations 4
The Economic and Social Council convened today to conduct elections, nominations, confirmations, and appointments to fill vacancies in 15 of its subsidiary bodies.
The Council, which plays a vital role in advancing the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, oversees a complex ecosystem of subsidiary entities, comprising regional and functional commissions, standing committees, and expert and ad hoc bodies.
For instance, its Statistical Commission, established in 1946, is responsible for the development of international statistics concepts and methods, including their implementation at the national and international level. The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, formed in 2000, advises the Council on Indigenous peoples’ rights and provides recommendations to Member States on issues affecting indigenous communities. And the Commission on Narcotic Drugs formulates international drug policies and oversees the implementation of global drug control treaties.
The Council by secret ballot today elected Romania to the Statistical Commission for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2026 and expiring on 31 December 2029. In a second round of balloting, the Russian Federation was elected for the same four-year term.
Since the number of candidates from the African States, the Asia-Pacific States, the Latin American and Caribbean States and the Western European and other States was equal to the number of vacancies, the Council also elected Austria, Benin, Brazil, Burundi, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Finland, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru and Uzbekistan by acclamation for the same four-year term.
To the Commission on Population and Development, the Council elected Bolivia, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Ireland, Ghana, Malaysia, Mongolia, Norway, Russian Federation, Senegal, United Kingdom and the United Republic of Tanzania by acclamation for a four-year term of office beginning at the first meeting of the Commission’s sixtieth session in 2026 and expiring at the close of its sixty-third session in 2030.
The Council also elected Albania, by acclamation, to the Commission for a term of office beginning on 4 April 2025 and expiring at the close of the Commission’s fifty-ninth session in 2026. Japan and the Philippines were elected, by acclamation, for a four-year term beginning at the first meeting of the fifty-ninth session and expiring at the close of the sixty-second session in 2029.
To the Commission on the Status of Women, the Council elected Cabo Verde, China, Gabon, Japan, Maldives, Mongolia, Morocco, Qatar, United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe, by acclamation, for a four-year term of office beginning at the first meeting of the Commission’s seventy-first session in 2026 and expiring at the close of its seventy-fourth session in 2030.
To the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the Council elected from the Asia-Pacific States — by secret ballot — Pakistan, Kazakhstan, United Arab Emirates and Kyrgyzstan for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2026 and expiring on 31 December 2029. From the Eastern European States, it elected Slovenia, Lithuania and Ukraine, and from the Western European and Other States, it elected Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Australia and, in a second round of balloting, France, for the same four-year term beginning on 1 January 2026.
From the African States and the Latin American and Caribbean States, the Council elected Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Honduras, Mauritania and Trinidad and Tobago, by acclamation, to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice for a four-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2026.
To the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Council elected by secret ballot from the Eastern European States Valts Ernštreits of Latvia and Suleiman Mamutov of Ukraine for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2026.
Since the number of candidates from the African States, the Asia-Pacific States, the Latin American and Caribbean States and the Western European and other States was equal to or less than the number of vacancies, the Council elected Brenda Gunn of Canada, Nan Li of China, Rodrigo Paillalef Monnard of Chile, Diego A. Tituaña Matango of Ecuador and Anne-Chantal Nama of Cameroon, by acclamation, for the same three-year term of office.
Since the number of candidates from the Asia-Pacific States, the Eastern European States, the Latin American and Caribbean States and the Western European and other States was equal to or less than the number of vacancies, the Council elected Antigua and Barbuda, China, Georgia, Guatemala, Iceland, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Norway, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, by acclamation, to the Executive Board of the United Nations Children’s Fund for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2026.
The Council also elected by acclamation Canada, Türkiye and Liechtenstein to complete the unexpired term of office of Australia, France and Portugal, respectively, beginning on 1 January 2026 and expiring on 31 December 2027. Australia, France and Portugal resigned from their seats on the Executive Board effective 31 December 2025.
Next, the Council elected Armenia, Bolivia, China, Cuba, Estonia, Finland, Japan, Nepal, Norway, Rwanda and the United States, by acclamation, to the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme/United Nations Population Fund/United Nations Office for Project Services for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2026.
The Council also elected by acclamation Monaco, New Zealand and Türkiye to complete the unexpired term of office of Austria, Luxembourg and Ireland, respectively, beginning on 1 January 2026 and expiring on 31 December 2026. Switzerland was elected to complete the unexpired term of office of Belgium, beginning on 1 January 2026 and expiring on 31 December 2027. Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg and Ireland resigned from their seats on 31 December 2025.
The Council next elected Burkina Faso, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Japan, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Rwanda and Senegal by acclamation to the Executive Board of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2026.
The Council also elected Cuba, Gabon and Kenya by acclamation to the Executive Board of the World Food Programme for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2026.
The Council by secret ballot elected Ukraine to the Programme Coordinating Board of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2026. Further, it elected Kenya, by acclamation, to the Programme Coordinating Board for the same term.
The Council then elected by acclamation the Philippines to complete the unexpired term of office of Japan, beginning on 4 April 2025 and expiring on 31 December 2027.
The Council next nominated China, Cuba, Egypt, Nigeria, Republic of Korea and Senegal, for election by the General Assembly to the Committee for Programme and Coordination for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2026.
To the Commission for Social Development, the Council elected Switzerland, by acclamation, for a term beginning on 4 April 2025 and expiring at the close of the Commission’s sixty-seventh session in 2029.
Next, the Council elected Belarus, Colombia, India and Kyrgyzstan, by acclamation, to the Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting, each for a term of office beginning on 4 April 2025 and expiring on 31 December 2027. Greece was elected, by acclamation, to the same body for a term of office beginning on 4 April 2025 and expiring on 31 December 2026.
Finally, the Council elected Cyprus, by acclamation, to the Committee for the United Nations Population Award for a term of office beginning on 4 April 2025 and expiring on 31 December 2027.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Mahe, Seychelles, April 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mahe, Seychelles, April 04, 2025 – In a recent exclusive interview with Forbes, BitMart Founder and CEO Sheldon Xia opened up about the company’s seven-year journey, its bold roadmap for the decade ahead, and how BitMart plans to remain a defining force in the global crypto industry.
From Startup to Global Platform: A 7-Year Milestone
Seven years ago, BitMart started as a bold idea. Today, it stands as a global platform with over 10 million users, $3 trillion in annual trading volume, and a growing footprint across more than 200 countries and regions.
Reflecting on that journey, Sheldon said:“Seven years in crypto is indeed a long time, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built. Since 2017, BitMart has grown from a bold idea into a top-tier platform serving over 10 million users globally.”
The company’s growth has been anchored in one core value: putting users first. BitMart offers more than 1,700 trading pairs, an ecosystem spanning Spot, Futures, Earn, Staking, and Launchpad, and an experience tailored to both beginners and professional traders.
A Global Vision, Driven by Innovation
Looking ahead, BitMart isn’t just refining its offerings—it’s scaling with purpose. According to Sheldon, the company’s long-term goal is clear: “BitMart aims to be the gateway to Web3, bridging today’s crypto economy with tomorrow’s decentralized future.”
That vision includes accelerating growth in key regions. BitMart is expanding rapidly in established markets like the European Union, while targeting MENA and LATAM as high-potential markets where crypto adoption is on the rise.
On the product side, Sheldon said that BitMart is investing in performance and intelligence. Its newly released 3rd Generation Trading System reduces order processing time from 20 milliseconds to just 2 milliseconds and can handle up to 80,000 orders per second —setting a new industry standard for speed and stability.
And 2025 will be a pivotal year for BitMart’s AI rollout. The company is preparing to launch more features, including smart analytics, automated trading bots, and personalized interfaces—tools designed to make crypto smarter and more accessible for everyone. Both the Launchpad and Earn products will also be upgraded to feature more innovative projects and higher-yield opportunities for users.
Security and Trust in a Volatile Landscape
As the industry faces rising security threats, BitMart continues to prioritize stability and user protection. Its multi-layer security architecture includes a hybrid hot and cold wallet system, multi-signature protocols, and advanced defense layers like WAF, XDR, and CWPP.
“Security isn’t an afterthought at BitMart,” Sheldon emphasized. “It’s the foundation of everything we do.”
BitMart also conducts regular audits, partners with leading security firms, and offers institutional-grade custody, 2FA, and anti-phishing protections for users.
While market volatility may continue, BitMart is built for these cycles. As Sheldon puts it, crypto’s resilience always shines through—and BitMart will keep leading the way, turning uncertainty into opportunity for users around the world.
Read the full Forbes interview with Sheldon here
About BitMart
BitMart is the premier global digital asset trading platform. With millions of users worldwide and ranked among the top crypto exchanges on CoinGecko, it currently offers 1,700+ trading pairs with competitive trading fees. Constantly evolving and growing, BitMart is interested in crypto’s potential to drive innovation and promote financial inclusion. To learn more about BitMart, visit their Website, follow their X (Twitter), or join their Telegram for updates, news, and promotions. Download BitMart App to trade anytime, anywhere.
Disclaimer:
Use of BitMart services is entirely at your own risk. All crypto investments, including earnings, are highly speculative in nature and involve substantial risk of loss. Past, hypothetical, or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
The value of digital currencies can go up or down and there can be a substantial risk in buying, selling, holding, or trading digital currencies. You should carefully consider whether trading or holding digital currencies is suitable for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial circumstances, and risk tolerance. BitMart does not provide any investment, legal, or tax advice.
Source: Office of United States Attorneys
OKLAHOMA CITY – ADAM ROUSE, 32, BRENDAN SHANE HOLDER, 32, DAMION BLAIR BRADLEY GEORGE, 30, and KRISTOPHER HAUSER, 32, all of Oklahoma City, have pleaded guilty to maiming in aid of racketeering, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On November 19, 2024, a federal Grand Jury returned a two-count Indictment against the defendants, charging them with maiming in aid of the racketeering activities of the Irish Mob Gang. According to the Indictment, the Irish Mob Gang is an enterprise engaged in, among other things, the distribution of controlled substances, firearms trafficking, and acts of violence. To further these day-to-day operations, the Irish Mob Gang depended on a robust enforcement group to ensure compliance with the organization’s orders, which included directing and permitting other members and associates to carry out acts in furtherance of the enterprise.
Specially, the Indictment alleges that, for purposes of gaining entrance to and maintaining and increasing their position within the Irish Mob Gang, Rouse and Holder severed a victim’s right pinkie finger with a hatchet, while Holder, George, and Hauser all participated in the burning of a gang tattoo off the back of a victim’s head with a heated machete.
As of April 1, 2025, each defendant has pleaded guilty to maiming in aid of racketeering. At sentencing, the defendants each face up to 30 years in federal prison and fines of up to $250,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Norman Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Hoch and David McCrary are prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Source: WTO
Headline: On 30th anniversary, officials highlight importance of WTO work on rules of origin
In her opening remarks to the anniversary event, Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard noted that the CRO, which first met exactly 30 years ago, was founded upon a clear vision: fostering international cooperation and facilitating trade through predictable, clear and harmonized rules of origin.
DDG Ellard noted that the Committee’s initial work was focused on negotiating harmonized rules of origin for all non-preferential purposes, i.e., for rules applicable to trade outside of regional and preferential trade agreements. While completion of the ambitious harmonization objective has proven unattainable, “the objectives of the Agreement retain all their significance for members and business in today’s world,” she said.
“Businesses navigating global trade need predictability and welcome greater simplicity and transparency,” DDG Ellard told the audience. “Transparency should, therefore, remain a central objective of this Committee, and I am glad to see recent work in this area, as well as the voluntary use of a new notification template.”
“New technologies, digital trade procedures, blockchain technologies, and artificial intelligence open many new opportunities and challenges that could guide the work of this Committee,” she continued. “In fact, in the past few years, we have seen an expansion of the Committee’s work, particularly on preferential rules of origin for least developed countries. There is great scope for members to learn from each other and to improve their practices with a view to facilitating trade.”
“As members implement more detailed and complex rules of origin and control mechanisms, they must also strive for rules that facilitate trade,” she added. “In this context, multilateral discussions within this Committee are increasingly relevant.
Rules of origin are the criteria used to define where a product is made for customs purposes. They are also important for implementing other trade policy measures, including trade preferences, quotas, marking, anti-dumping measures and countervailing duties.
Non-preferential rules of origin are those which apply when trade is conducted on a most-favoured nation (MFN) basis. Preferential rules of origin are those which apply in reciprocal trade preferences (i.e. regional trade agreements or customs unions) or in non-reciprocal preferences (i.e. preferences in favour of developing countries or LDCs).
The Chair of the CRO, Mr. Guna Seelan Balakrishnan of Malaysia, said predictable and clear rules of origin are important for global trade.
“The necessity of our work is shown in the simplicity of our purpose to determine where a good is made,” the Chair said. “So simple, but as the past 30 years have shown, so complex at the same time.”
Mr Balakrishnan welcomed in particular the CRO’s recent work on preferential rules of origin for least developed country members, a period of “some of the most extensive activity” from the Committee. “The responses and interactions I have been part of during the consultations with the LDC Group and the preference granting members has reflected this adaptability to work through an important part of the Committee’s mandate,” he said.
While outlining the history of the negotiations that led to the conclusion of the Agreement and the subsequent work of the CRO, Darlan F. Martí from the WTO Secretariat also paid tribute to trade negotiators, customs officials, international organizations and former Chairs who dedicated many hours of work to the CRO.
He also emphasized that the current work of the Committee could be useful for all members: “The lessons learned from this work extend beyond the LDCs – for instance, our conversations about utilization rates or trade facilitating practices that are conducive to the utilization of preferences,” he said. “This is something that is not only useful in the context of non-reciprocal trade preferences for the LDCs, but it’s something that, if members want, could go beyond this and also be discussed in the context of preferential rules of origin used in (free trade agreements) as well.”
To conclude the event, the International Trade Centre gave an overview of statistics on the use of the WTO, WCO, ITC “Origin Facilitator”, a publicly-available global database on rules of origin.
Several members and observers took the floor to thank the speakers for their presentations, to comment on the work of the Committee and to identify priorities for future work. They also extended their appreciation to the Chair of the Committee, Mr. Balakrishnan.
DDG Ellard’s statement and the presentations made, including a video recording of the session, will be made available in the events section of the Rules of Origin portal of the WTO website.
CRO meeting
At its meeting on 3 April, the CRO continued to review developments related to preferential rules of origin for LDCs. Japan provided additional information on its consignment obligations. The EU presented the functioning of its self-certification scheme as well as the operation of the “non-manipulation” principle. China updated the Committee on the introduction of electronic certification for LDCs. The United Kingdom reported on the rates utilization of its Developing Countries Trading Scheme.
Cambodia presented a new paper regarding differentiating utilization rates of preferential trade arrangements for LDCs while the LDC Group presented ongoing research concerning the identification of specific cases of firms using cumulation in Africa. Cumulation refers to provisions allowing producers in one country to source parts and inputs from other countries without losing the originating status of that input.
The Secretariat provided an overview of notifications received on non-preferential rules of origin requirements. Switzerland and Viet Nam were the first members to update their notifications using the new template proposed by the Chair in November 2024. The Secretariat noted that 57 members apply non-preferential origin requirements, 61 members do not, and 21 members have not submitted any information yet.
Next meeting
The next formal CRO meeting will take place on 5-6 November.
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Source: US State of California 2
What you need to know:As President Trump’s tariffs take effect, Governor Gavin Newsom is pursuing new strategic partnerships with international trading partners while calling for California-made products to be excluded from any retaliatory measures and affirming California’s long-standing commitment to fair, open, and mutually beneficial global trade.
Los Angeles, California – California took a major step forward in correcting the damage from 50 years of neglect to the state’s mental health system with the passage of Proposition 1. This historic measure — a signature priority of Governor Gavin Newsom — adds rocket fuel to California’s overhaul of the state’s behavioral health systems. It provides a full range of mental health and substance abuse care, with new accountability metrics to ensure local governments deliver for their communities.
Governor Gavin Newsom
California is the fifth-largest economy in the world, the strongest economy in the nation, and the largest importer among all U.S. states, with more than $675 billion in two-way trade supporting millions of jobs throughout the state. California’s gross domestic product of $3.9 trillion is 50% bigger than the GDP of the nation’s next largest state, Texas, and is the key to the United States’ economic growth. California sends more than $83 billion to the federal government annually.
California is home to the most Fortune 500 companies, beating out Texas, Florida, and all other states. California remains #1 in the nation for new business starts, #1 for access to venture capital funding, #1 for manufacturing, #1 for high-tech, and #1 for agriculture.
California stands as the center for manufacturing output in the United States with over 36,000 manufacturing firms and employing over 1.1 million Californians. Since California supplanted New York in 1965, our manufacturing firms have created new industries and supplied the world with manufactured goods spanning aerospace, computers and electronics, and, most recently, zero-emission vehicles.
California is home to 32 of the world’s 50 leading AI companies, high-impact research and education institutions, and a quarter of the technology’s patents and conference papers. California’s population has increased multiple years in a row and has one of the most equitable tax systems in the entire country. Travel spending reached an all-time high of $150.4 billion.
California’s long-standing commitment to global cooperation, innovation, and openness has helped power its rise to the world’s fifth-largest economy — leading in good-paying jobs to support California’s working families. With the Governor’s announcement today, the state will extend that leadership through strategic, mutually beneficial partnerships rooted in respect, trust, and shared growth.
With this announcement, Governor Newsom is directing his Administration to identify collaborative opportunities with trading partners that protect California’s economic interests — workers, manufacturers, and businesses — and the broader supply chains linked to the state’s economy. The administration will explore ways to:
California’s economy and workers rely heavily on trade with Mexico, Canada, and China. Over 40% of California imports come from these countries, totaling $203 billion of the more than $491 billion in goods imported by California in 2024. The tariffs will also affect access to important construction materials critical to rebuilding after the Los Angeles fires, including timber and wood, steel and aluminum, and the most important components of drywall.
Retaliatory tariffs will also have an outsized impact on California businesses, particularly its more than 60,000 small business exporters. Mexico, Canada, and China are California’s top three export destinations, buying nearly $67 billion in California exports, which was over one-third of the state’s $183 billion in exported goods in 2024. Retaliatory tariffs also impact farmers and ranchers during a difficult time in the U.S. farm economy – fostering a greater need for mitigation and expanding foreign market share.
The magnitude of these tariffs on our North American allies, and the retaliation, will also result in major disruptions to cross-border supply chains, including the mutually beneficial co-production that takes place in the California-Baja mega-region. If these goods are taxed each time they cross the border, the price of the final product will rise and ultimately be passed on to California consumers. This will have far-reaching impacts, affecting everything from semiconductors to aerospace and automotive products.
Analysis by the Yale Budget Lab found that the tariffs announced by the Trump Administration thus far will likely result in a 2.3% increase in overall inflation this year alone — including a 2.8% increase in food prices and an 8.4% increase in automotive prices — translating to an impact of $3,800 on the average American household.
California has long been a key player on the international stage — from taking joint action on climate change to identifying new pathways and partnerships for sustained economic growth. During the Newsom Administration alone, California has signed 38 international agreements with 28 different foreign partners that lay critical groundwork for prolonged economic success as well as prioritizing workers and businesses that benefit from these new opportunities.
Source: United Nations (Video News)
What happens to bombs after they land? Some explode, but many don’t—leaving behind a deadly legacy of war. Today, tens of millions of these deadly weapons remain scattered in former battle zones across the world long after the conflicts have ended. In Laos alone, only one per cent of the estimated 80 million now banned cluster bombs dropped during the Viet Nam War more than half a century ago have been safely deactivated and removed.
As the world observes the International Day for Mine Awareness on April 4th, innovative projects are turning remnants of conflict into messages of peace. Meet Kendall Silwonuk and the artisans of Article 22, who transform metal from bomb casings into stunning jewellery, creating income and hope for communities once torn apart by conflict. Discover how bracelets, necklaces and sculptures made from bombs are helping rebuild lives and raise awareness about de-mining efforts worldwide.
Source: Government of India
Posted On: 04 APR 2025 8:33PM by PIB Delhi
The details of import of finished steel in India for the last five years, country-wise and year-wise is placed at Annexure.
The details of domestic crude steel production for the last five years, year-wise is given below:-
|
Domestic Crude Steel Production |
|
|
Year |
Quantity (in MnT) |
|
2019-20 |
109.14 |
|
2020-21 |
103.54 |
|
2021-22 |
120.29 |
|
2022-23 |
127.20 |
|
2023-24 |
144.30 |
|
Source: Joint Plant Committee (JPC); MnT=million tonnes |
|
Steel is a deregulated sector and the government acts as a facilitator by creating a conducive policy environment for the development of steel sector in the country. The decision regarding import and export are taken by steel companies based on techno-commercial considerations and market dynamics.
Government has taken steps to ensure that only quality steel is produced in the country or imported from outside. In this direction, 151 BIS standards have been notified and have been covered by Quality Control Orders (QCOs) by Ministry of Steel to ensure that only quality steel is made available to the end users & the public at large.
The Government has taken following steps to encourage domestic steel production:-
Country-wise and Year-wise import of finished Steel during last five year
|
IMPORT OF FINISHED STEEL (‘000 tonnes) |
|||||
|
Country |
2019-20 |
2020-21 |
2021-22 |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
|
ARGENTINA |
26 |
7 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
AUSTRALIA |
4 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
AUSTRIA |
13 |
71 |
9 |
10 |
52 |
|
BAHARAIN |
10 |
14 |
5 |
1 |
3 |
|
BELGIUM |
74 |
56 |
28 |
33 |
17 |
|
BRAZIL |
23 |
5 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
|
CANADA |
20 |
17 |
10 |
11 |
6 |
|
CHINA |
1207 |
843 |
833 |
1407 |
2687 |
|
CZECH REP |
2 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
|
DENMARK |
3 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
FINLAND |
9 |
5 |
5 |
7 |
6 |
|
FRANCE |
56 |
121 |
58 |
77 |
15 |
|
GERMANY |
135 |
146 |
151 |
112 |
80 |
|
INDONESIA |
464 |
79 |
241 |
148 |
94 |
|
ITALY |
81 |
33 |
34 |
31 |
23 |
|
JAPAN |
1018 |
560 |
664 |
841 |
1274 |
|
KAZAKHSTAN |
3 |
11 |
1 |
6 |
0 |
|
KOREA |
2687 |
1947 |
2009 |
2228 |
2670 |
|
KUWAIT |
8 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
9 |
|
MALAYSIA |
51 |
42 |
8 |
20 |
6 |
|
NEPAL |
6 |
6 |
9 |
59 |
120 |
|
NETHERLANDS |
11 |
20 |
13 |
4 |
3 |
|
NEWZELAND |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
OMAN |
4 |
12 |
5 |
7 |
11 |
|
POLAND |
8 |
5 |
7 |
6 |
3 |
|
PORTUGAL |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
|
ROMANIA |
3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
17 |
|
RUSSIA |
71 |
63 |
55 |
313 |
53 |
|
SAUDI ARABIA |
8 |
36 |
14 |
9 |
39 |
|
SINGAPORE |
139 |
43 |
8 |
6 |
4 |
|
SLOVENIA |
11 |
7 |
6 |
4 |
1 |
|
SOUTH AFRICA |
22 |
15 |
8 |
5 |
7 |
|
SPAIN |
32 |
20 |
27 |
21 |
5 |
|
SWEDEN |
23 |
27 |
39 |
48 |
20 |
|
SWITZERLAND |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
TAIWAN |
165 |
186 |
194 |
163 |
185 |
|
THAILAND |
52 |
50 |
25 |
53 |
58 |
|
TURKEY |
5 |
8 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
U.K. |
17 |
11 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
|
UAE |
21 |
21 |
24 |
12 |
52 |
|
UKRAINE |
84 |
31 |
22 |
7 |
1 |
|
USA |
65 |
54 |
29 |
17 |
20 |
|
VIETNAM |
86 |
133 |
75 |
320 |
737 |
|
OTHERS |
39 |
39 |
26 |
11 |
27 |
|
TOTAL |
6768 |
4752 |
4669 |
6022 |
8320 |
|
Source: Joint Plant Committee (JPC) |
|||||
This information was given by the Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries, Shri Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
*****
TPJ/NJ
(Release ID: 2119067) Visitor Counter : 17
Source: Government of India
| Ministry of Electronics & IT
Government of India Taking Measures To Tackle Deepfakes Posted On: 04 APR 2025 8:09PM by PIB Delhi The policies of Government of India are aimed at ensuring a safe, trusted and accountable cyberspace for users in the country. Key regulatory initiatives taken by the Central Government to address issues of misinformation and deepfakes, are as under:
This information was given by Minister of State for Electronics & IT Shri Jitin Prasada as a written reply in Rajya Sabha today. ***** Dharmendra Tewari/ Navin Sreejith (Release ID: 2119050) |
Source: Government of India
Posted On: 04 APR 2025 8:31PM by PIB Delhi
Good evening, all of you.
Shri Sunil Kumar Gupta, his description goes beyond an IAS officer of 1987 batch. He’s an alumnus of IIT Kanpur. Shri Sujeet Kumar, a member of the Upper House, the Council of States, House of Elders, popularly known as Rajya Sabha. I have had the good occasion and benefit to know the Hon’ble Member of Parliament inside out. He’s a lawyer, he’s an academician, he’s a positive thinker, he acts subterranean, but makes very effective contribution in the Council of States, and equally impactful contribution as part of international delegation of Bharat to global institutions.
I had the good fortune to interact with him briefly while he was invited to the banquet when we had the presence of Chilean president a decade younger to you. He’s 49, the president of Chile happens to be about 39. I must recognise a very distinguished presence of Smt. Sudha Murthy, has been accoladed for her simplicity, contribution to society, and captivating smile, ever positive. I remember in Rajya Sabha when the time came for her to ask a supplementary, it was 12 noon, which means Question Hour starts that was Zero Hour. I said, I’ll give you precedence.
A veteran member reacted, she is always in public domain. I said, well earned, well deserved, public spirited, for a public cause. We had the occasion also, me and Dr. Sudesh Dhankhar, when we were at the coronation of King Charles in London in that ceremony, we found a slim, simple looking girl coming to us and discovered she was then a spouse of the Prime Minister of UK, her son-in-law, and it was her daughter.
So the traditions of what we say, sanskar, rightly filtered to the next generation. Shri Haris Beeran, he shares one thing in common with Sudha Ji, a charming smile. Rekha Sharma recently became a member of Rajya Sabha from the state of Haryana, but has all India perspective, having occupied a very significant position of Chairperson of National Women’s Commission.
Mithlesh Kumar, well grounded to real politics, and also his presence at this function reveals he is very forward looking. Well, these constitute the, if I may say, contingent from the Upper House. We are enormously benefited by Tapir Gao, a member in the House of People, popularly known as Lok Sabha, from the state of Arunachal. Me and Dr. Sudesh Dhankar had the occasion to attend a very important programme just a month or two back in his state, a great state, a state with many tribes, culture and his colleague, Kiren Rijiju Ji is our minister for Minority Affairs.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is for the first time in this country that a person professing Buddhism is a Cabinet Minister that indicates our inclusive approach. The world must learn from India, Bharat, the concept of inclusivity. Yet, some try to impart lessons to us. It does happen on occasions that those who are to learn quickly become your teachers. But then, they learn fast if they are in positive frame.
Shri Pradeep Gandhi, I share something very different with him. He’s an ex-MP, I’m also one. But I am an ex-MP with a difference. My category of MPs in 89 to 91, 96 to 97, 98. axed-MP, we did not have the occasion to complete our term. We have amongst us Shri Rajit Punhani, an IAS officer of 1991 batch, Secretary to the Council of States, alumnus of Doon School, alumnus of St. Stephen’s College, President of the Union of St. Stephen’s, Harvard. IIM Bangalore, and he’s from the State of Bihar.
I must commend his role in human resource transformation in Rajya Sabha, and for crafting a very innovative skill for Rajya Sabha interns. Alongside, Sumant Narain, another Harvard product, Indian Audits and Accounts Service. We have Mahaveer Singhvi, Indian Foreign Service.
We have a journalist here who is more seen on television, like some of our parliamentarians. Because our parliamentarians are drawn from my one-time fraternity. I say one-time fraternity because, when I took oath of office of Governor of the State of West Bengal, my son as a senior advocate had to be suspended. So, I parted company with the jealous mistress. I see him. He’s extremely fond of young lawyers and promoting them on television.
There’s another journalist also, nearly having the same size as he has, with a little more height. I was having you in mind. Then, of course, Tosif Alam, the co-author. Well, I greet each and everyone present in this hall. But my real greetings to team Sujeet Kumar.
Ladies and gentlemen, I was extremely, all my life, benefited from intelligence. That intelligence, I call it SDI, Sudesh Dhankar Intelligence. That intelligence has always held me in good state, generating in me transparency, accountability, and has a very strong sense of disciplining. I dare not reveal the rest of it.
AI on Trial is a fascinating, illuminating book on a subject of huge contemporaneous relevance. Artificial intelligence invasion, incursion in our daily life is being felt by all of us. Its seismic impact is on every part of our activity. Disruptive technologies, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, blockchain, machine learning, used to be just words but now, artificial intelligence is the buzzword. On a lighter note, let me tell you, a member of the Parliament from journalistic category, did not reflect due diligence while sending a notice to get suspension of the working of the house, so that her subject, I have revealed the gender inadvertently, gets precedence. She sent it on a particular date and wanted suspension of the house that had already taken place five days ago.
I lamented that even artificial intelligence cannot help me to suspend which has already fructified but we never know, there may be a time when artificial intelligence couldn’t go that far also. While I congratulate the authors for their dedication to this critical field and for contributing in an area that will define not only our economic trajectory, in a sense guide our ethical compass for decades to come, but also impacts every societal activity. Artificial intelligence has got such fast traction. It is known to one and all, be it a village, be it semi-urban, urban, or highly urbanised areas, the meadows. It has agitated our minds, also generated concerns but ladies and gentlemen, let me remind you, last 10 years, India is defined as the nation that has had the highest growth amongst large nations.
Its exponential economic upsurge, phenomenal infrastructure growth have been accoladed by global institutions like the IMF and the World Bank. But the greatest certification has emanated from global institutions in respect of technological penetration. India’s landscape is now dotted with technological footprint everywhere and that is why the World Bank President reflected what India has achieved in technologically spread out in about six years that is not possible even in four decades.
We as a Nation have tested accessibility of technology and revealed to the world high degree of adaptability resulting in transparency, accountability of services. Youngsters would not even know that to pay an electricity bill or a water bill or a telephone bill. One was compelled to take a day’s leave. The queue was long. Getting a railway ticket or a platform ticket. All this is now in your hand, your mobile. Our mobile coverage, I can say, is reaching nearly saturation point.
The visionary leadership of Prime Minister Modi was reflected. When he thought of banking inclusion and brought about 550 million people, mostly in the villages, into banking service industry. In the shortest time that has stood us in good state during COVID. And also, imagine a Nation where farmers, hundred million in number, get three times a year, direct transfer into their bank accounts but we have to be extremely worry also. AI, the gene, is out of the bottle and it can be extremely destructive. It can create havoc if not regulated, in the age of defects, working of deep state, wokeism. These menacing trends can get wings if this gene of artificial intelligence is not regulated.
To put it for young minds, a nuclear power can give you energy. Nuclear power can lighten houses, run industry but it can also be destructive. Therefore, we have both the possibilities before us. This calls for something on which the book has deeply focused. The author, Shri Sujeet Kumar, has given illustrations. If you see one of the most widely propagated on social media, one was taking a route using artificial intelligence but the road was broken in between. AI did not show it and it was a disaster.
It can be a challenge to nations, organised societies, because it is a power that is now available to all. India, being the fastest growing country in the last 10 years, is no longer a nation with a potential. Our objective is well set out to be a developed nation by 2047, if not before. And that requires for us to harness every available area and vista of opportunity because our income has to go eightfold per capita and that being the situation, we must look to harness artificial intelligence for our benefit and that surely can be done.
I would say India is amongst the few nations in the world that have focused on this aspect, much before others. But we are the most populous country, largest, oldest, most vibrant democracy. Regulating artificial intelligence is daunting, frightening, but imperative. Right balance will have to be struck between regulating artificial intelligence and fostering innovation, this is fundamental. Overregulation can choke like over disciplining a child. We don’t have to impede the spirit of entrepreneurship but at the same time, we have to be extremely cognisant of the evil effects. Underregulation can endanger public safety, perpetuate bias, and erode trust.
The author in his address had reflected on these problems. One of the greatest challenges that we face these days is, and let me come to the institution which I preside, every word is spoken in the Council of States by a member of Parliament. The Member of Parliament has the immunity from civil prosecution, criminal prosecution. The constitutional protection given to the member, even if the observations are slanderous, malicious, defamatory, damaging reputations of people, setting narratives that are anti-national, not factually well-premised, no citizen of the country can take action. Therefore, action has to be taken by the Council of States, self-regulation. But then, the quickest we can do is, if an Hon’ble Member makes an objectionable observation, it can be expunged. That is expunged only from the record. That is expunged only for posterity. But it gets the widest traction, how to deal with it.
I have tasked a committee headed by a senior parliamentarian, Ghanshyam Tiwari Ji. He heads a committee on ethics, to devise ways and means. One is counselling members. Secondly, calling upon the political parties that put their people in these institutions to discipline them, sensitise them but the critical question is, how do we save the damage? Artificial intelligence has an answer. Machine learning for me, to begin with, was only machine plus learning but it’s a mechanism that can deal with this menace in split seconds. So technology will have to be availed to make things a little more soothing to society.
We must therefore design regulation as a scaffold, not a cage. Our goal should be to enable a framework where responsible innovation thrives and sinister designs, pernicious designs, are neutralised. A risk-based, sector-specific, and principle-driven approach may serve us well in this regard. For instance, the level of scrutiny required for AI used in medical diagnostics should differ from the artificial intelligence creating social media feeds. We must assert India’s cyber sovereignty as much as we do the sovereignty understood in common parlance. But we have to be aligned to global standards. There can be no stand-alone activity in such kind of situations. There will have to be global convergence. All stakeholders will have to come on one platform so that we have a global, rule-based order in the field of artificial intelligence.
India is a unique country, our civilisational depth is more than 5,000 years. Our ethos, our culture, our values, our knowledge is reflected in our Vedas, our epics. India has been a thought leader for centuries. A global centre of culture. Our institutes of excellence were thrown by scholars from all over the world Takshashila, Nalanda, to name only two. They came, gave us much, took away much, shared it, our treasure.
In G20, India has taken a great initiative to generate a global community and that was reflected in India’s G20 motto, “One Earth, One Family, One Future.” Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. It was the vision of the Prime Minister that brought in the fold of G20 nations of the African Union. European Union was already represented. Global South in neglect for quite long. A word not even known to many. But an important segment of countries in global polity and economy was put on the centre stage. We need to work out something where artificial intelligence can be on that level. The first step has been taken through our India Stack Programme. We are making many of our digital governance solutions open source so the journey of other developing nations gets this facility. Most importantly, the impact of artificial intelligence on ordinary citizens must be at the heart of regulatory regime.
An ordinary person will not be able to find solutions on his own. The system must provide automatic, inbuilt relief to ordinary citizens. To protect our citizens from the hazards of artificial intelligence, we need enforceable rights, such as right to explanation, the right to contest automated decisions. Decisions are automated. How to contest them, we are not aware and the right to opt out of algorithmic processing, especially when decisions impact livelihoods, liberty, and dignity.
Artificial Intelligence has generated a compulsive scenario for us. It has forced us to re-examine existing jurisprudence. Traditional legal concepts like liability, or even personhood come under pressure when actions are carried out by autonomous systems. Artificial intelligence opacity challenges legal transparency and accountability principles. Delegating legal interpretation to unexplainable systems undermines judicial trust.
Current legal artificial intelligence use lacks, this use is not complete. If we use current legal artificial intelligence, we find one deficiency. It lacks comprehensive regulation and oversight. There is urgent need for standards and safeguards to prevent consequences of unregulated artificial intelligence. Debate continues to raise all over whether artificial intelligence promotes legal consistency or perpetuates historical biases.
Justice at the risk, and the risk is great, justice at risk when algorithms lacking human qualities influence law, judgments can’t be robotised. There can be no artificial intelligence replication. Sometimes the distinction is too fine to be detected even by artificial intelligence. It is the brain of the judge, the discerning brain, that finds a resolution.
This book, friends, provides a road map for responsible artificial intelligence integration through case studies and regulation proposals. To put it in layman’s language, if you wish to know a gentleman, Google has enough to give you. You can assimilate it, but trust me, you will be ignorant of the person. You have to go much beyond Google, you have to go much beyond artificial intelligence to know the man.
Future of legal artificial intelligence requires deliberate shaping by professionals and policy makers. Friends, if artificial intelligence is not regulated, we will face trial by artificial intelligence. That will be a tough trial. The fundamentals of legal jurisprudence, like opportunity of hearing, a fair process, are its first casualty. Therefore, to prevent that, time is now to focus on ‘Artificial Intelligence on Trial’.
Every person now has power in his hand because of smartphones. Media has come to be defined very differently.
People are increasingly focused. The focus is intense on social media. The news sharing is the fastest on social media but what happens if it is moderated? It is manipulated? It is inspired by interests inimical to Bharat? It is aimed at destroying our constitutional institutions? Let me give you a highly alarmingly concerning aspect.
Access to judiciary is a fundamental right and when it comes to challenge to individual’s fundamental rights, the doors of the highest court are open under Article 32 petitions but what we have seen of late?
Access to judiciary has been weaponised by forces in a systemic manner, fuelled by extra-legal mechanisms, dubiously financed, and the object being to destroy core values of Bharat. We have to be extremely worried.
I must share a deep concern with you, while institutions have to self-regulate themselves but parliamentary institutions and judiciary blossom only when they self-regulate. We must have respect for these institutions’ inter se, and I hold every institution in high regard. But I firmly believe if there is an incursion in the domain of an institution, be it executive, judiciary, or legislature, by another institution, the doctrine of separation of powers will be stressed. The stress will be severe. The consequences may be huge.
Therefore, time has come. These institutions also, one, to apply technology like artificial intelligence to enhance, to secure cutting-edge in their administrative working, and in delivering in their core areas, like judiciary has to deliver through judgments, legislature has to do it through legislation, and holding the executive accountable.
But similarly, and it is undoubtedly a considered proposition, in all democratic nations, executive governance is the only way of life, because people elect their representatives for governance and for legislation but those who have the numbers get into executive seat from governments. If executive function is performed not by the government but by legislature or by judiciary, where is the accountability? Executive governance by another institution other than government is antithetical to our constitutional values.
It is negation of power of the people, ‘We the People’, who gave us this constitution. Therefore, such kind of technologies can really get into even-handedness working, equitable working. The equilibrium can be maintained. I strongly advocate that we must be extremely sensitive to institutional domains. But at the same time, we must have highest regard for our institutions.
We as a nation are proud for our Parliament, that we are proud of our judiciary. We are equally proud of our executive and you have to look back for last 10 years, our performance, and you will know the statement is well thought out, well premised.
I must also advert to another aspect. India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, much is being talked about it. People are having varying opinions, and that is the essence of democracy. Because a dialogue requires varying opinions. No one can be judgmental that I alone am right in democracy. Our Digital Personal Data Protection Act is a landmark step, but it now has to evolve in tandem with artificial intelligence regulation. Consent must be meaningful, those who are lawyers know it. A consent that is not free is no consent in law. And free means real freedom to give your consent. Consent cannot be buried in opaque and abstruse terms of service. I am sometimes surprised when I use my mobile phone, go to some application, there is pressure, I agree.
Now in utter helplessness, you concede a very personal ground. Unknowingly, you are lured or forced. Otherwise, the utilisation doesn’t fructify with ease. Consent cannot be in opaque and abstruse terms of service. Anonymisation, data minimisation, and purpose limitation must be rigorously enforced.
The regulation of artificial intelligence must be very transparent. It must go hand in hand with re-skilling and workforce planning. As artificial intelligence displaces certain tasks, it will. Because it has come to your house, come to your office. It does jobs sometimes better than normal resource and then an impression is gathered. Are we risking the jobs of people who work? Maybe in some situations, but then it does offer the stars of involvement. We must look in that direction. This requires that we must invest very heavily in education, vocational training, digital literacy, particularly for those who are marginalised, who are vulnerable, who need hand-holding situations.
Artificial intelligence, the governance part of it, I see it after deep thought, cannot be left only to technocrats or corporations. Democratic oversight is quintessence of democracy. Citizen engagement and transparency are essential. India’s parliamentary committees, judicial forums, and civil society, all are stakeholders. They must converge to secure the citizen against ill effects, evil effects of artificial intelligence.
Now, artificial intelligence, disruptive technologies are like another industrial revolution. There is paradigm shift every moment. We seem to be on quicksand when it comes to technological changes. Changes are taking place by the hour, I can say by the seconds. Therefore, to regulate something that is as dynamic as artificial intelligence, we need an agile and empowered institutional framework.
A national artificial intelligence authority or commission, independent but accountable with representation from government, industry, academia, and civil society could serve as a think tank. Let me give a simple illustration. This is turning out into a huge problem. People are losing the money from their banks. Now, artificial intelligence must find a solution that once something is stolen by electronic means on account of an inadvertent error or whereas citizen becomes prey to mischief in technology to neutralise and ensure traction of money is controlled. We are still very conventional.
The person has to go to a police station, and we find the area is in another state, so a physical visit has to be made. By that time, the crooks, the rogues who get themselves this kind of unjust enrichment move their working pattern. We need to do something about it.
I greatly appreciate the effort of Sujeet Kumar and his young colleague, Tosif Alam, and I have carefully gone through, having had the benefit of book in advance, of the comments that emanated from Justice Ranjan Gogoi and our N. R. Narayana Murthy, Justice T. S. Sivagnanam. He was a judge when I was governor of the state of Bengal.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, a technocrat with deep belief, I share one thing in common with our young friend, Tauseef Alam. Salman Khurshid is a dear friend of mine, a distinguished senior advocate, and you have to learn a lot from his style. He absorbs everything which is a challenge by way of thought process, but makes his point in a subtle manner.
Friends, in conclusion, the topic of regulation of AI will determine the kind of society we aspire to be. It has become a most important factor where we will be. Do we wish to become a digital dystopia where humans serve algorithm or a humane artificial Indian society where technology serves the people? The choice is ours. The choice is well known. There is nothing in artificial intelligence, it is far away from the human mind, so we must use capacity of human mind to regulate this artificial intelligence. It is on trial as per the book.
Let artificial intelligence not put us on trial. I’m extremely happy to release this book. It will be an eye-opener to everyone in all spheres of life. I wish the authors success for their next venture.
Thank you so much.
****
JK/RC/SM
(Release ID: 2119066) Visitor Counter : 24
Source: Government of India
Posted On: 04 APR 2025 9:57PM by PIB Delhi
Following the grand inauguration of the Startup Mahakumbh on April 3, 2025, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, returned to Bharat Mandapam for a walk through of the mega exhibition on Day 2 of the event.
Addressing the media during his walk through, the minister heaped lavish praise on the work of startups. “Having visited the exhibition, the flavor that I got–the taste of innovative work that our young men and women have created through their sheer tenacity, hardwork, spirit of enquiry, research and innovation–is music to one’s ears,” he added. “You can see the work of world-class quality, experience the technologies created on energy efficiency, powering electronics, see the defence equipment that young startups are creating, and realise how fintech is becoming a source of empowerment for the common citizen…” he said, referring to his visit to Startup Mahakumbh as “truly an experience of a lifetime.”
The second edition of Startup Mahakumbh features 10 thematic pavilions covering key industries such as AI, DeepTech & Cybersecurity, HealthTech & BioTech, AgriTech, Climate Tech, Incubators & Accelerators, D2C, FinTech, Gaming & Sports, B2B & Precision Manufacturing, Defence & Space Tech, and Mobility. Shri Piyush Goyal visited a number of exhibits showcasing groundbreaking innovations in Climate Tech, BioTech, AI, and DeepTech and more, ranging from intelligent air purifiers and EV tractors to AI-driven platforms for functional brain mapping and cutting-edge manufacturing drones for defense applications.
Specially curated Startup Booths/Pods within each pavilion offer startups and organizations a platform to showcase their innovations to key stakeholders, including angel investors, venture capitalists, corporate and ecosystem-driven incubators, accelerators, government agencies, and international investors. Startup Mahakumbh features over 3,000 startups, 1,000+ investors and incubators, and 10,000+ delegates from 50+ countries, making it a prime opportunity for startups to pitch their businesses, build investor relationships, and secure crucial funding.
The union minister emphasized that he was confident India would emerge as a global leader in innovation and technology-driven growth. “This is the base–the foundation–on which I am confident, India will foray in a very big way into the world of innovation. We will make our presence felt on the global stage. I go back extremely satisfied with the work done with our young startups. Young India is raring to go. And they are ready to capture the world,” he said.
A landmark moment in India’s fintech journey with the launch of the India Fintech Foundation was also witnessed in the esteemed presence of Shri Amitabh Kant, Shri Sanjiv Singh, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, and Shri NS Vishwanathan, former deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This initiative marks a significant step towards fostering a sustainable, innovative, and self-regulated fintech ecosystem in India.
Shri Amardeep Bhatia, Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade also engaged with startups from various sectors today at the Startup Mahakumbh. During the event, he also visited the startups showcased at the SCO Pavilion.
Building on the success of the inaugural edition, which featured over 1,300 exhibitors and attracted more than 48,000 visitors, Startup Mahakumbh 2025 is one of India’s largest innovation and entrepreneurship events and promises an even bigger and more impactful platform for startups, investors, and industry leaders. The event witnessed a remarkable turnout, with a footfall of 107823 over two days.
About Startup Mahakumbh
Startup Mahakumbh is a first-of-its-kind event bringing together the entire startup ecosystem of India including startups, investors, incubators and accelerators, and industry leaders from several sectors. led by FICCI, ASSOCHAM, NASSCOM, TiE, IVCA and Bootstrap Foundation, and supported by GEM, SIDBI, ECGC, DPIIT and MeitY.
The second edition of Startup Mahakumbh is set to make a grand return in 2025, building on the tremendous success of its inaugural edition. The flagship startup event was an extraordinary success, attracting over 50,000 business visitors engaging with 3000 exhibitors including finest startups, soonicorns, and unicorns, from 26+ states and 50+ countries. It also hosted 1000+ incubators and accelerators and 1000+ leading angel investors, VCs, and family offices.
For more information, visit www.startupmahakumbh.org.
***
Abhishek Dayal/ Abhijith Narayanan/ Ishita Biswas
(Release ID: 2119100) Visitor Counter : 25
Source: Government of India
Need the right balance between regulating artificial intelligence and fostering innovation, underlines VP
VP calls for independent and accountable National Artificial Intelligence Authority
Consent that is not free is no consent in law; Consent cannot be buried in opaque and abstruse terms of service-VP
AI opacity challenges legal transparency and accountability principles-VP
We must assert India’s cyber sovereignty-VP
Posted On: 04 APR 2025 8:52PM by PIB Delhi
The Vice-President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today emphasised on the need for regulation for AI while maintaining the right balance between regulation and fostering innovation. The Vice-President today underscored that, “ Regulation of AI will determine the kind of society we aspire to be. It has become a most important factor where we will be ! Do we wish to become a digital dystopia where humans serve algorithms or a humane Indian society where technology serves the people? The choice is ours. The choice is well known.”
To regulate something as dynamic as Artificial Intelligence, we need an agile and empowered institutional framework.
A National Artificial Intelligence Authority or Commission that is independent but accountable with representation from government, industry, academia, and civil… pic.twitter.com/lmkejkCee8
— Vice-President of India (@VPIndia) April 4, 2025
Addressing the gathering at the release of the book ‘AI on Trial’ authored by Hon’ble member of Rajya Sabha, Shri Sujeet Kumar at Vice-President’s Enclave today, Shri Dhankhar stated, “Regulating Artificial Intelligence is daunting, frightening, but imperative. Right balance will have to be struck between regulating artificial intelligence and fostering innovation. This is fundamental. Overregulation can choke like over-disciplining a child. We don’t have to impede the spirit of entrepreneurship. But at the same time, we have to be extremely cognizant of the evil effects. Under regulation can endanger public safety, perpetuate bias and erode trust.”
Hon’ble Vice-President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar launched the book “AI on Trial”, authored by Hon’ble Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Shri Sujeet Kumar Ji, and Shri Tauseef Alam Ji, at Vice-President’s Enclave today. @SujeetKOfficial #AIonTrial@SmtSudhaMurty… pic.twitter.com/o9fMS9YHy8
— Vice-President of India (@VPIndia) April 4, 2025
The impact of Artificial Intelligence on ordinary citizens must be at the heart of AI regulatory regime.
We need enforceable rights to protect citizens from AI such as the right to explanation, the right to contest automated decisions. The system must provide automatic, inbuilt… pic.twitter.com/7XkWTTMUQk
— Vice-President of India (@VPIndia) April 4, 2025
“……to regulate something that is as dynamic as artificial intelligence, we need an agile and empowered institutional framework. A national artificial intelligence authority or commission, independent but accountable with representation from government, industry, academia, and civil society could serve as a think tank. We must therefore design regulation as a scaffold, not a cage. Our goal should be to enable a framework where responsible innovation thrives, and sinister designs, pernicious designs, are neutralised. A risk-based, sector-specific, and principle-driven approach may serve us well in this regard. For instance, the level of scrutiny required for AI used in medical diagnostics should differ from the Artificial Intelligence creating social media feeds……impact of artificial intelligence on ordinary citizens must be at the heart of regulatory regime. An ordinary person will not be able to find solutions on his own. The system must provide automatic, inbuilt relief to ordinary citizens. To protect our citizens from the hazards of artificial intelligence, we need enforceable rights, such as right to explanation, the right to contest automated decisions. Decisions are automated. How to contest them, we are not aware and the right to opt out of algorithmic processing, especially when decisions impact livelihoods, liberty, and dignity.
”, he added.
One of the greatest challenges that we face today is that every word spoken by a Member of Parliament has constitutional immunity from civil and criminal prosecution, even if the observations are slanderous, malicious, defamatory, damaging reputations of people, setting… pic.twitter.com/1uumJ4H4BK
— Vice-President of India (@VPIndia) April 4, 2025
“..we have to be extremely wary also. AI, the genie is out of the bottle, and it can be extremely destructive. It can create havoc if not regulated. In the age of deep fakes, working of Deep State, wokeism, these menacing trends can get wings if this genie of Artificial Intelligence is not regulated. To put it for young minds, a nuclear power can give you energy. Nuclear power can lighten houses, run industry, but it can also be destructive, and therefore, we have both the possibilities before us”, he cautioned.
In his address he further stated, “The regulation of artificial intelligence must be very transparent. It must go hand in hand with re-skilling and workforce planning. As artificial intelligence displaces certain tasks, it will. Because it has come to your house, come to your office. It does jobs sometimes better than normal resource and then an impression is gathered. Are we risking the jobs of people who work? Maybe in some situations…..this requires that we must invest very heavily in education, vocational training, digital literacy, particularly for those who are marginalised, who are vulnerable, who need hand-holding situations”.
Underlining the importance of cyber sovereignty, he stated, “We must assert India’s cyber sovereignty as much as we do the sovereignty understood in common parlance but we have to be aligned to global standards. There can be no standalone activity in such kind of situations. There will have to be global convergence. All stakeholders will have to come on one platform so that we have a global rule-based order in the field of Artificial Intelligence.”
Access to Judiciary is a Fundamental Right.
When it comes to challenges to Fundamental Rights, the doors of the highest court are open under Article 32.
But what we have seen off-late, access to judiciary has been weaponized by forces in a systemic matter fueled by extra legal… pic.twitter.com/Su12qYk3En
— Vice-President of India (@VPIndia) April 4, 2025
Talking about the ramifications of AI in the legal domain, Shri Dhankhar stated, “Artificial intelligence has generated a compulsive scenario for us. It has forced us to re-examine existing jurisprudence. Traditional legal concepts like liability, or even personhood come under pressure when actions are carried out by autonomous systems. Artificial intelligence opacity challenges legal transparency and accountability principles. Delegating legal interpretation to unexplainable systems undermines judicial trust…..If we use current legal artificial intelligence, we find one deficiency. It lacks comprehensive regulation and oversight. There is urgent need for standards and safeguards to prevent consequences of unregulated artificial intelligence. Debate continues all over, whether artificial intelligence promotes legal consistency or perpetuates historical biases.…Justice is at the risk, and the risk is great, justice at risk when algorithms lacking human qualities influence law, judgments can’t be robotised. There can be no artificial intelligence replication. Sometimes the distinction is too fine to be detected even by artificial intelligence. It is the brain of the judge, the discerning brain, that finds a resolution.”
India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act is a landmark step, but it now has to evolve in tandem with Artificial Intelligence regulation.
Consent must be meaningful. Those who are lawyers know it, consent that is not free is no consent in law. And free means real freedom to… pic.twitter.com/bTUKeMuwcT
— Vice-President of India (@VPIndia) April 4, 2025
Emphasising on the significance of meaningful consent, Shri Dhankhar stated,“ Our Digital Personal Data Protection Act is a landmark step, but it now has to evolve in tandem with artificial intelligence regulation. Consent must be meaningful, those who are lawyers know it. A consent that is not free is no consent in law and free means real freedom to give your consent. Consent cannot be buried in opaque and abstruse terms of service. I am sometimes surprised when I use my mobile phone, go to some application, there is pressure, I agree. Now in utter helplessness, you concede a very personal ground. Unknowingly, you are lured or forced otherwise, the utilisation doesn’t fructify with ease. Consent cannot be in opaque and abstruse terms of service. Anonymisation, data minimisation, and purpose limitation must be rigorously enforced.”
Shri Sujeet Kumar, MP, Rajya Sabha; Smt. Sudha Murthy, MP, Rajya Sabha; Smt. Rekha Sharma, MP, Rajya Sabha; Shri Sunil Kumar Gupta, Secretary to the Vice-President of India; and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
****
JK/RC/SM
(Release ID: 2119081) Visitor Counter : 44
Source: Government of India
Posted On: 04 APR 2025 6:47PM by PIB Delhi
During 03-04 April 2025, H.E. Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India paid an Official Visit to Thailand and participated in the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, on the invitation of H.E. Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand. Prime Minister Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome by Prime Minister Shinawatra at the Government House in Bangkok.
Acknowledging the deep civilisational, cultural, religious and linguistic bonds and 78 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Thailand, both leaders held wide ranging discussions on various areas of bilateral cooperation including defence and security, trade and investment, connectivity, science and technology, innovation, space, education, health, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges. They also exchanged views on sub-regional, regional, and multilateral issues of mutual interest. Both leaders witnessed exchange of several MoUs covering various areas of cooperation. They also welcomed the establishment of an India-Thailand Consular Dialogue.
Prime Minister Shinawatra and Prime Minister Modi also visited Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Rajwaramahawihan to pay homage to the historic Reclining Buddha.
Taking into consideration the existing cooperation and the potential for closer cooperation not only at the bilateral and regional levels but also in the global context in view of the rapidly evolving global geopolitical situation, the two leaders agreed to elevate the existing bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership. This marks a new chapter of enhanced partnership for realising the full potential of cooperation between the two countries.
The Strategic Partnership is based on mutual commitment to strengthen bilateral relations for the continuing peace, stability and prosperity of the two countries and their respective regions. The Strategic Partnership will serve as an important foundation for the two countries to chart a future-oriented and mutually-beneficial path towards increasing opportunities, closer cooperation and to jointly respond to common challenges.
The Strategic Partnership will build upon existing agreements and mechanisms of cooperation which encompass partnering in political, defence and security, trade and investment, connectivity, education, socio-cultural development and people-to-people exchanges, as well as other areas of mutual interest.
In declaring this Strategic Partnership, the two leaders reaffirmed their shared interests in a free, open, transparent, rules-based, inclusive, prosperous and resilient Indo-Pacific region and reiterated their strong support for ASEAN Centrality. They also reaffirmed their commitment to exploring concrete activities to implement the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Cooperation on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) for Peace, Stability and Prosperity in the Region through enhanced cooperation between the AOIP and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) including Thailand’s constructive role to co-lead the Maritime Ecology Pillar of the IPOI with Australia.
In an effort to further broaden and deepen the relationship between the two countries, the two leaders agreed to the following:
Political Cooperation
Strengthen political engagement through regular high-level exchanges at the Leadership level, including on the sidelines of multilateral meetings with a view to discuss shared regional interests, as well as to address regional and global security challenges.
Convene regular meetings between the Foreign Ministers and Senior Officials from respective Ministry of Foreign Affairs/External Affairs under existing mechanisms of Joint Committee for Bilateral Cooperation at the Foreign Ministers’ level and Foreign Office Consultations at the Senior Officials’ level.
Promote regular Parliamentary exchanges between both countries.
Defence and Security Cooperation
Strengthen the existing mechanisms of defence cooperation, as well as to promote further collaboration between the defence sectors of the two countries, with particular emphasis on defence technology, defence industry, research, training, exchanges, exercises and capacity building including by establishing appropriate mechanisms.
Enhance security cooperation through regular dialogues and exchanges between the respective security and law enforcement agencies/ organisations, also by including a Deputy National Security Adviser/ Secretary General level strategic dialogue between the Thai National Security Council and the National Security Council Secretariat of India, to address the increasingly challenging global and regional security environment and cooperate on both traditional and non-traditional security issues such as defence, maritime security, cybersecurity, counter terrorism, law enforcement issues and combating transnational organised crime like cyber-crimes, international economic crimes, anti-money laundering and human, drug, arms and wildlife trafficking, through exchange of information and intelligence, and sharing of best practices.
Economic, Trade and Investment Cooperation
To organise regular meetings and exchanges between the respective Ministry of Commerce/Commerce & Industry under existing mechanism of the Joint Trade Committee between India and Thailand. It was also agreed to ensure annual meetings of existing mechanisms to promote trade and investment between the two countries; to facilitate trade and resolve market access issues with a view to strengthening both countries’ linkages to the global supply chain and to enhance the confidence of the private sectors of both countries; including through cooperation in harmonization, equivalence and Mutual Recognition of Standards of mutually agreed areas; and to prepare for new areas of trade and investment, especially in future-oriented industries, such as renewable energy, electric vehicles, digital technology, robotics, ICT, space technology, biotechnology, creative industry and startups.
Welcome the increasing bilateral trade, which reached approximate US$ 15 billion in 2023-24 and seek to enhance sustainable bilateral trade to realise its full potential, through an expansion of economic linkages in potential areas. Promote sustainable trade in sectors such as value-added marine products, smartphones, electrical vehicles, food processing, petroleum products, auto components, services and pharmaceuticals.
Promote trade facilitation and to deepen cooperation under the existing agreements and frameworks, including the Framework Agreement for Establishing Comprehensive Free Trade Area between Thailand and India and the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA). Provide greater impetus to bilateral trade by exploring the establishment of local currency-based settlement mechanism.
To support and expedite the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) to make it more user-friendly, simple and trade facilitative for businesses, aiming to achieve substantial conclusion in 2025 and to strengthen supply chains between India and ASEAN Countries.
Promote closer collaboration between the investment promotion agencies of the two countries, including the Board of Investment of Thailand and Invest India, to promote effective utilisation of existing investment policies and schemes, particularly those driving forward the vision of Ignite Thailand through Act East Policy and Make In India, as well as the utilisation of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) & Industrial Corridors in both countries for increasing bilateral investment.
Organise regular meetings on annual basis of the India-Thailand Joint Business Forum (ITJBF) to serve as the main mechanism for exchanges and the promotion of joint projects and collaboration between the private sectors of the two countries.
Explore appropriate mechanisms to promote exchanges between entrepreneurs, SMEs, and startups. Keeping in mind the common strategic goals of capacity building and increased market access for India and Thailand startup ecosystems, both sides agreed to conduct startup related activities including mentorship programmes and expert sessions on sectors of mutual importance, focused investor pitching, business matchmaking with corporates and business associations, innovation challenges, integration of academic institutes in both countries and supporting cross-incubation models.
Promote closer collaboration between the financial service providers in India and Thailand to facilitate trade, investment, and cross-border payments to strengthen economic and financial linkages between the two countries.
Promote cooperation for sustainable economic growth, including Bio-Circular- Green Economy and Life Style for Environment, especially in the areas of renewable energy, and energy efficiency technologies, to meet both sides’ respective climate change goals.
Connectivity
Enhance all modes of connectivity such as physical, digital and financial between India and Thailand and strengthen regional linkages, including through expediting the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway and its eastward extension, as well as the India, Myanmar and Thailand Motor Vehicles Agreement, strengthening regional maritime connectivity through coastal shipping and enhancing port-to-port connections and to encourage the civil aviation authorities of the two countries to continue engaging in discussions for enhancing air connectivity between both countries.
Socio-cultural, Educational and People-to-People Exchanges
Foster the positive momentum of people-to-people exchanges, as well as promote potential areas of tourism between the two countries.
Strengthen mechanisms of cooperation between the Ministries responsible for education in both countries in order to promote educational cooperation, including through mutual recognition of qualifications, increased exchanges of scholarships for students pursuing university-level education in India and Thailand, to facilitate student exchanges, joint research and fellowships. Promote cooperation in skill development, English Language training, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Thai and Hindi Studies, and collaboration between educational and training institutions in both countries.
Strengthen the links between the two countries through the deepening of cultural relations and cooperation, including in performing arts, exhibitions, seminars, conference, archaeology, archives, museums, research and documentation, and festivals as identified in the Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP).
Explore potential areas of collaboration in sports, such as sports integrity, sports governing bodies, sport sciences & research, sports industry, and sports tourism, as well as exchanges of experts and practitioners in areas of mutual interest.
Promote closer collaboration between India and Thailand in establishing closer cooperation with the North Eastern Region (NER) of India and to increase exchanges, particularly in the areas of tourism, culture, education, vocation and technical cooperation.
Strengthen cooperation between Ministries responsible for science and technology to address new challenges and create opportunities with increased exchanges and closer collaboration in science and technology, through joint research projects, workshops, and exchanges in priority areas such as agriculture, biotechnology, ICT and space technology.
Promote closer cooperation between the two countries in the areas of health, medical products, as well as traditional medicine, including through increased exchanges of information, research and development, and human resource development.
Establish exchanges and cooperation involved in women’s all-round development, including leadership, decision-making and vocational skills to enhance women entrepreneurship.
Regional, Multilateral and International Cooperation
Enhance cooperation between India and Thailand especially at the United Nations to promote constructive role of both sides on global issues of mutual concern and interest.
Strengthen cooperation between India and Thailand within regional and sub-regional frameworks, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC), Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) and Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) and promote synergies and complementarities among these frameworks with the aim to comprehensively and effectively address regional and sub-regional challenges.
Strengthen cooperation between Thailand and India in multilateral frameworks such as G77 and South-South Cooperation to jointly advocate the voice of developing countries.
Jointly strengthen the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established at the 19th ASEAN-India Summit to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations in 2022 in Phnom Penh and welcome India’s continued support for ASEAN Centrality and active cooperation in ASEAN-led mechanisms in the evolving regional architecture.
Further strengthen cooperation under the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) framework for enhancing socio-economic development and connectivity of the region, and further strengthen the centuries old civilisational ties.
Promote the leading and proactive role of India and Thailand as founding members and the two largest economies of BIMSTEC in working towards a prosperous, resilient and open Bay of Bengal community, while capitalising on the commitment from the recent adoption of the BIMSTEC Charter as well as the unique character of BIMSTEC as a bridge between South and Southeast Asia. Strengthen BIMSTEC transport connectivity through implementation of the BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity and related agreements, including the Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation.
The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Prime Minister of the Republic of India agreed to task the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India to coordinate with relevant agencies to formulate a Joint Plan of Action towards the effective implementation of the Strategic Partnership.
***
MJPS/SR
(Release ID: 2118985) Visitor Counter : 22
Source: Government of India
DISCUSSION ON VOTE OF THANKS ON PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS LASTED FOR 17 HOURS 23 MINUTES AND 173 MEMBERS PARTICIPATED IN THE DISCUSSION: LOK SABHA SPEAKER
GENERAL DISCUSSION ON UNION BUDGET 2025-26 LASTED FOR 16 HOURS 13 MINUTES AND 169 MEMBERS PARTICIPATED IN DISCUSSION: LOK SABHA SPEAKER
10 GOVERNMENT BILLS WERE INTRODUCED IN LOK SABHA AND 16 BILLS WERE PASSED: LOK SABHA SPEAKER
RECORD 202 MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE WERE RAISED DURING ZERO HOUR ON 3 APRIL, 2025: LOK SABHA SPEAKER
FOURTH SESSION OF EIGHTEENTH LOK SABHA CONCLUDES
Posted On: 04 APR 2025 6:05PM by PIB Delhi
The Fourth Session of the Eighteenth Lok Sabha, which commenced on 31 January, 2025, concluded today. Shri Birla informed the House that 26 sittings were held during the Session which lasted for around 160 hours 48 minutes. The productivity of the House during the Session was 118 percent, informed Shri Birla.
Hon’ble President of India addressed Members of both the Houses of Parliament on 31 January, 2025 and the discussion on Vote of Thanks on the President’s Address lasted for 17 hours 23 minutes. 173 Members participated in the discussion, informed Shri Birla.
18वीं लोक सभा का चौथा सत्र आज अनिश्चितकाल के लिए स्थगित हो गया है।
31 जनवरी 2025 से प्रारंभ हुए इस सत्र में कुल 26 बैठकें हुई, तथा सत्र की उत्पादकता 118 प्रतिशत से अधिक रही।
माननीया राष्ट्रपति जी के अभिभाषण पर धन्यवाद प्रस्ताव पर 173 सदस्यों ने चर्चा में भागीदारी की। इसी तरह… pic.twitter.com/gfdNQ1s4cr
— Om Birla (@ombirlakota) April 4, 2025
The Finance Minister presented Union Budget 2025-2026 on the floor of the House on 1 February, 2025. General Discussion on the Union Budget 2025-26 lasted for 16 hours 13 minutes. Shri Birla informed that 169 Members participated in the discussion. Finance Minister replied to the discussion on 11 February, 2025.
Demands for Grants of selected Ministries/ Departments were discussed in the House from 17 to 21 March, 2025 and subsequently the Demands for Grants were passed by the House. Appropriation Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on 21 March, 2025 and the Finance Bill was passed on 25 March, 2025.
Shri Birla further informed that, 10 Government Bills were introduced and 16 Bills were passed, during the session. Some of the important bills which were passed are as follows:
(i) The Finance Bill, 2025;
(ii) The Appropriation Bill, 2025;
(iii) The “Tribhuvan” Sahkari University Bill, 2025;
(iv) The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025; and
(v) The Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025
During the Session, 134 starred questions were answered orally. A total of 691 Matters of Public Importance were raised by the Members during the Zero Hour, out of which a record number of 202 Matters of Public Importance were raised during Zero Hour on 3 April, 2025, Shri Birla informed. A total of 566 matters were taken up under Rule 377 during the Session.
Shri Birla informed that during the Session, a total number of 32 Statements, including 23 Statements under Direction 73A. 61 Reports were presented by Departmentally Related Standing Committees and as many as, 2518 papers were laid on the Table of the House, he further said.
A Calling Attention Motion on hardships faced by fishermen community was discussed under Rule 197 on 1 April, 2025.
As regards Private Members’ Business, a Private Member’s Resolution moved by Shri Shafi Parambil, MP, regarding appropriate measure to regulate airfare in the country was discussed in the House on 28 March, 2025 however, the discussion remained inconclusive. On 2 April, 2025, Statutory Resolution ratifying President’s Rule in Manipur was adopted by the House.
During the Session, the House welcomed the Russian Parliamentary Delegation led by Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, H.E., Mr. Vyacheslav Volodin on 3 February 2025. On 11 February 2025, the House welcomed the Parliamentary Delegation from Maldives led by H.E. Mr. Abdul Raheem Abdulla, Speaker of the People’s Majlis of Maldives. Similarly, on 12 March 2025, the House welcomed the Parliamentary Delegation from Madagascar led by H.E. Mr. Justin Tokley, President of the National Assembly of Madagascar.
***
AM
(Release ID: 2118945) Visitor Counter : 74
Source: Government of India
| AYUSH
AYUSH Chair in foreign universities to promote and strengthen traditional Indian medicine systems globally 50 Institute-to- Institute Memorandum of Understanding with foreign institutions to facilitate research and academic exchange in AYUSH Posted On: 04 APR 2025 4:45PM by PIB Delhi The Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) Chair Programme is an initiative by the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, to promote and strengthen traditional Indian medicine systems (AYUSH) globally. Under this program, AYUSH Chairs are established in foreign universities and institutions to facilitate academic collaboration, research, and awareness about AYUSH systems. The Ministry of Ayush, has established AYUSH academic chairs in Bangladesh, Australia, Mauritius, Latvia and Malaysia. These chairs are part of a broader strategy to promote AYUSH systems of medicine internationally. The specific objectives being pursued through this initiative are as under:
The Ministry of Ayush, Government of India has signed 50 Institute-to-Institute Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with foreign institutions to facilitate research and academic exchange in AYUSH. The details of the Institutes with whom the Ministry of Ayush has signed the MoUs are placed at Annexure. -3- These initiatives help to enhance global propagation, recognition, and acceptance of AYUSH systems of medicines. For assessing the impact of AYUSH Chair, a monthly report on activities undertaken is obtained from the chair. The evaluation of the chair’s impact is being conducted based on the report. Annexure
This information was given by Union Minister of State (I/C) for Ayush, Shri Prataprao Jadhav in a written reply in Lok Sabha today. *** MV/AKS (Release ID: 2118854) |
Source: Government of India
Posted On: 04 APR 2025 4:59PM by PIB Delhi
Under Modernisation pillar of Sagarmala Programme, 234 projects at cost of around Rs. 2.91 Lakh crores have been undertaken for implementation across Coastal States/UTs. These projects are implemented by Central Ministries, IWAI, Indian Railways, State Government and Major Ports etc. Out of these, 103 projects worth Rs. 32,634 crores have been completed and 56 projects worth Rs. 74,744 crores are under implementation. The details of projects undertaken in Sagarmala Programme in the State of Andhra Pradesh under Port Modernisation pillar is annexed. [Annexure-I]
Under the Sagarmala Scheme, the Ministry provides financial assistance to State/UT Governments for Port infrastructure projects, Coastal berth projects, Road & Rail projects, fishing harbours, skill development projects, Coastal community development, cruise terminal and projects such as Ro-Pax ferry services. Ministry has till date undertaken 119 projects at a total Cost of Rs. 9407 Cr. for partial funding under Sagarmala Scheme. Out of these, 72 projects have been completed till date. The State Wise details of projects under Sagarmala Scheme are annexed. [Annexure-II]. Under Sagarmala Scheme, Ministry is partially funding 12 projects costing around Rs. 2,410 Crore in the State of Andhra Pradesh including Visakhapatnam Port Authority. Out of these, 7 projects have been completed. The details of projects are provided at Annexure-III.
Major Ports are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. The details of companies (public and private) which are involved in the construction and upgradation of Major Ports across the country is annexed. [Annexure-IV]
Annexure – I
List of Sagarmala Projects in Andhra Pradesh under Ports Modernisation pillar.
Annexure II
Annexure-III
List of Sagarmala-funded Projects in Andhra Pradesh
Annexure-IV
Companies (public and private) which are involved in the construction and upgradation of Major Ports
Century Ports Pvt. Ltd.
Mackintosh Burn Limited
M/s Biswajyoti Bhattacharyya
M/s Tribeni Constructions Ltd
Hooghly Oil and Gas Terminal Private Limited (HOGTPL)
HDC Bulk Terminal Ltd (HBTL)
Ganges bulk terminal Pvt. Ltd.
Indian Pors Rail & Ropeway Corporation Limited
Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC)
Jan De Nul Dredging India Pvt. Limited
Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors bv
Sripathy Associate Pvt. Ltd.
Sentinel Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
M/s Jandenul Dredging India Pvt. Ltd.
M/s Surabhi pile foundation & Gio Technics Pt. Ltd. Mumbai.
M/s Jefferson samuelraj& Sons.
M/s TTK Construction, Madurai
M/s R.K & Sons, Salem
M/s JSWTMTPL, Mumbai
M/s Tuticorin International Container Terminal Pvt. Ltd. (TICTPL), Tuticorin.
M/s Ferro Concrete Construction (India) Pvt. Ltd. Indore, MP
M/s Thakur- Mhatre JV, Mumbai.
M/s Alfra- Backbone- Tarmat JV Mumbai
M/s Thakur-Mhatre- Kharpatil JV, Mumbai
M/s RKEC Projects Ltd., Visakhapatnam.
M/s Blue Star Construction Co,
M/s Manoj Infracon Private Limited, Mumbai.
M/s J.M. Mhatre infra Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai.
M/s Paresh Construction Co., Mumbai
M/s JPR Balaji Infra Pvt. Ltd., Jalna.
M/s Niraj Cement Structurals Ltd., Mumbai.
M/s Ferro Concrete Construction (India) Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai
M/s DEV Engineers
M/s Capacite Engineering Pvt Ltd and M/s. Capacit’e Infraprojects Ltd. (JV), Mumbai.
M/s P.P. Kharpatil Construction Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai
M/s ITD Cementation Ltd., Mumbai
M/s Shandar Interior Pvt. Ltd, Pune
M/s Van Oord India Pvt Ltd
M/s MAN Infra Construction Ltd
M/s ITD Cementation
M/s MAN Infraconstruction Ltd
M/s Antelec Pvt Ltd
M/s Doosan Enerbility Vietnam
M/s Doosan Enerbility Vietnam
M/s Wuxi Huadong Heavy Machinery
M/s Cullen Grummitt& Roe (India) Pvt. Ltd.
M/s Egis India Consulting Engineers Pvt Ltd
M/s Ultratech Environmental Consultancy and Laboratory Pvt Ltd.
M/s National Institute of Oceanography (NIO)
M/s Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology (GUIDE)
M/s ARI Simulation, New Delhi
M/s Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune (CWPRS)
M/s Vanoord India Private Ltd.
M/s Magoxy Infra Pvt. Ltd.
M/s BELIEVE Infra Project Pvt. Ltd.
M/s Belhekar and Kale Associated (JV)
M/s Kargwal Construction Pvt. Ltd
M/s ITD Cementation India Ltd.
M/s DVP Infraprojects Pvt Ltd.
M/s Rail Vikas Nigam Limited
M/s RKEC & M/s SBEC
M/s ITD Cementation Ltd.,
M/s SSN&Co.
M/s Indus Project Pvt. Ltd.
M/s SSN&Co.
M/s PJR Constructions (P) Ltd.
M/s JD Constructions
M/s GR Constructions
M/s Sri Venkateswara Constructions
M/s Md. Jahangeer
M/s Lalitha Constructions
M/s Hardware Tools and Machinery Projects Pvt Ltd.,
M/s IPRCL
M/s IPRCL
M/s JD Constructions
M/s ShrushtiContechPvt. Ltd. & Others.
M/s AKVR Infra
M/s Shell Refractories and Insulations, (JV) with M/s. Karagwal Constructions Pvt.
M/s Integrated Cargo Terminal Pvt. Ltd.
M/s Everson Marine Trade Pvt. Ltd.
M/s Kandla International Caontainer Terminal
M/s Italgrus.r.l., Italy
M/s Suzlon Energy Limited, New Delhi
M/s Inox Wind Limited, Noida.
M/s RISHI Shipping, Gandhidham
M/s Merit BMH Engg. Pvt. Ltd., Chennai
M/s Sterling and Wilson Pvt. Ltd.
M/s Omkar Enterprise, Ahmedabad
M/s Hi-Tech Elastomers Ltd., Ahmedabad
M/s Hi-Tech Elastomers Ltd., Ahmedabad
M/s Woodfield Systems International Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai
M/s Italgrus.r.l., Italy
M/s Jay Project, Baroda and M/s Patel Construction Co., Gandhi Dham
M/s Jay Project, Baroda
M/s C.K Electrical, Surat
M/s L&T Energy Green Tech Limited, Vadodara.
M/s Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZL)
M/s Hindustan Gateway Container Terminal Kandla Pvt. Ltd.
M/s Kandla Oil Terminal Private Ltd.
M/s Coviva Energy Terminal Ltd.
M/s Rock and Reef Dredging Pvt Ltd.
M/s K.K. Sorathia JV Hariom Earthmovers and Transport, Adipur
M/s BMS Projecs – Marymatha JV
M/s Indian port rail & ropeway corporation limited (IPRCL)
M/s Neelkanth Infratech Pvt. Ltd.
M/s Hariom Earthmovers and Transport – Adipur
M/s Radhe Associated, Mehsana
M/s Neelkanth Infratech Pvt. Ltd.
M/s Dhanji K. Patel
M/s Patel Corrtech JV
M/s Patel Construction Co., Gandhidham
M/s Baldaniya Construction
M/s South West Port Ltd (SWPL)
M/s Delta Ports Mormugao Terminal Pvt. Ltd.
M/s Goa IGT Pvt. Ltd. Navi Mumbai
M/s KVJ Builders & Developers Pvt. Ltd. Kochi
M/s KVJ Builders & Developers Pvt. Ltd. Kochi
M/s RKEC Projects Pvt. Ltd., Visakhapatnam
M/s JSW-MCTPL
Paradip East Quay Coal Terminal Pvt. Ltd.
Jindal Paradip Port Ltd.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal in a written reply to QUESTION NO. 5544 in the Lok Sabha.
*****
GDH/HR
(Release ID: 2118872) Visitor Counter : 86
Source: Government of India
Posted On: 04 APR 2025 4:57PM by PIB Delhi
Major Ports are under the administrative control of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ports other than Major Ports (Non-Major/Minor) are under the jurisdiction of respective State Government. 12 Major Port in the country accounts for the bulk of India’s cargo handling capacity and have benefitted from substantial investments in infrastructure, modernization, and automation. For a balanced and sustained growth of the Indian port sector, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways under Sagarmala Scheme is providing financial assistance to State Government / UT for development of port infrastructure.
The details of cargo handled by Major Ports and Non-Major Ports is annexed. [Annexure-I]
Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has undertaken implementation of the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) to augment the capacity of National Waterway-1 (NW-1) (from Varanasi to Haldia, 1390 Kilometer stretch). The development objective of JMVP is to enhance transport efficiency and reliability of NW-1 which passes through the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Under JMVP, the details of developments in Bihar along with employment generation is annexed. [Annexure-II]. The number of people directly employed at Major Ports and Non-Major Ports is annexed. [Annexure-III]
Ministry constituted Maritime States Development Council (MSDC) in the year 1997, an apex advisory body for the development of maritime sector and aims to ensure development of Major and Non-Major Ports, in consultation with State Governments, the future development of existing and new Minor Ports by the respective Maritime States either directly or through captive users and private participation. Till date, twenty meetings of MSDC have been held. Further, under Sagarmala, the Government aims holistic port infrastructure development along the coastline though modernisation, mechanisation and computerisation.
Sagarmala is the flagship Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways to promote port-led development in the country through harnessing lndia’s 7,500 km long coastline, and 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways. Under the Sagarmala Scheme, the Ministry provides financial assistance to State/UT Governments for Port infrastructure projects, Coastal berth projects, Road & Rail projects, fishing harbours, skill development projects, Coastal community development, cruise terminal and projects such as Ro-Pax ferry services. Ministry has till date provided partial assistance to 71 projects at a total Cost of Rs. 4925 Cr. for development of Non-Major Ports under Sagarmala Scheme.
Annexure-I
|
Year |
Cargo handled by Major Ports (Million Tonnes) |
Cargo handled by Non- Major Ports (Million Tonnes) |
|
2019-20 |
704.92 |
615.05 |
|
2020-21 |
672.68 |
577.30 |
|
2021-22 |
720.05 |
603.75 |
|
2022-23 |
784.30 |
651.01 |
|
2023-24 |
819.30 |
723.59 |
Annexure-II
|
JMVP Sub Projects in Bihar |
Cost (In Cr.) |
Approx. No. of Employment Generated |
|
Development of Intermodal Terminal Kalughat |
84.5 |
171 |
|
Development of 21 Community Jetties in Bihar |
34.79 |
546 |
|
Fairway Development Kalughat Access Channel |
9.63 |
24 |
|
Fairway Development Sultanganj – Mahenderpur (2019 – 2024) |
159.3 |
52 |
|
Fairway Development Mahenderpur to Barh (2019 – 2024) |
182.9 |
48 |
|
Fairway Development Sultanganj – Mahenderpur – Barh (2027 -2027) |
147.43 |
84 |
|
Fairway Development Barh – Digha |
73.14 |
45 |
|
Fairway Development Digha – Majhauwa |
58.93 |
50 |
|
Development of Ship Repair Facility Patna |
50 |
– |
|
Quick Pontoon Opening Mechanism |
11.61 |
5 |
|
Total |
800.62 |
1025 |
|
JMVP staff at Project Implementation Unit Patna |
9 |
|
|
Total |
1034 |
|
Annexure-III
Employment of Manpower at Major Ports and Non-Major Ports
|
Year |
Major Ports (in numbers) |
Non- Major Ports (in numbers) |
|
2020 |
26318 |
5232 |
|
2021 |
23330 |
9945 |
|
2022 |
20924 |
9598 |
|
2023 |
18109 |
14219 |
|
2024 |
16667 |
13381 |
This information was given by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal in written reply to QUESTION NO. 5693 in the Lok Sabha.
*****
GDH/HR
(Release ID: 2118871) Visitor Counter : 73
Source: European Parliament
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PV-10-2025-04-03
EN
EN
iPlPv_Sit
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| Thursday, 3 April 2025 – Strasbourg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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IN THE CHAIR: Younous OMARJEE
The sitting opened at 09:00. |
– Position of the Council at first reading with a view to the adoption of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on European Union labour market statistics on businesses, repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 530/1999 and Regulations (EC) No 450/2003 and (EC) No 453/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council – Adopted by the Council on 24 March 2025 (17082/1/2024 – COM(2025)0134 – C10-0054/2025 – 2023/0288(COD)) – Position of the Council at first reading with a view to the adoption of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2016/1011 as regards the scope of the rules for benchmarks, the use in the Union of benchmarks provided by an administrator located in a third country, and certain reporting requirements – Adopted by the Council on 24 March 2025 (05123/1/2025 – COM(2025)0155 – C10-0055/2025 – 2023/0379(COD)) – Position of the Council at first reading with a view to the adoption of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a Border Regions’ instrument for development and growth (BRIDGEforEU) – Adopted by the Council on 24 March 2025 (17102/1/2024 – COM(2025)0131 – C10-0057/2025 – 2018/0198(COD)) The three-month period available to Parliament under Article 294 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union for it to adopt its positions would begin the following day, 4 April 2025. |
Commission statement: European Action Plan on Rare Diseases (2025/2637(RSP)) Olivér Várhelyi (Member of the Commission) made the statement. The following spoke: Tomislav Sokol, on behalf of the PPE Group, Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, on behalf of the S&D Group, Ondřej Knotek, on behalf of the PfE Group, Michele Picaro, on behalf of the ECR Group, Stine Bosse, on behalf of the Renew Group, Tilly Metz, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Catarina Martins, on behalf of The Left Group, Christine Anderson, on behalf of the ESN Group, András Tivadar Kulja, Romana Jerković, Gerald Hauser, Francesco Torselli, Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu, Ignazio Roberto Marino, Ondřej Dostál, Adam Jarubas, Nicolás González Casares, Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain (the President reminded Members to keep to the subject of the debate), Billy Kelleher, Diana Iovanovici Şoşoacă, Rosa Estaràs Ferragut, Nikos Papandreou, Margarita de la Pisa Carrión, Michalis Hadjipantela, Marta Temido, Viktória Ferenc, who also answered a blue-card question from András Tivadar Kulja, Letizia Moratti, Estelle Ceulemans, Laurent Castillo and Leire Pajín. The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Maria Grapini, Alexander Jungbluth, Lukas Sieper and Kateřina Konečná. The following spoke: Olivér Várhelyi. The following spoke: András Tivadar Kulja who made a personal statement in response to the intervention by Alexander Jungbluth. The debate closed. |
Commission statement: Establishment of a European Day of the Righteous (2025/2638(RSP)) Olivér Várhelyi (Member of the Commission) made the statement. The following spoke: Letizia Moratti, on behalf of the PPE Group, Pierfrancesco Maran, on behalf of the S&D Group, Julien Leonardelli, on behalf of the PfE Group, Antonella Sberna, on behalf of the ECR Group, Billy Kelleher, on behalf of the Renew Group, Catarina Vieira, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Petr Bystron, on behalf of the ESN Group, Ernő Schaller-Baross, Arkadiusz Mularczyk and Cristian Terheş. The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Liudas Mažylis, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Petras Gražulis and Lukas Sieper. The following spoke: Olivér Várhelyi. IN THE CHAIR: Roberts ZĪLE The debate closed. |
Commission statement: 110th anniversary of the Armenian genocide (2025/2639(RSP)) Olivér Várhelyi (Member of the Commission) made the statement. The following spoke: Miriam Lexmann, on behalf of the PPE Group, Yannis Maniatis, on behalf of the S&D Group, Pierre-Romain Thionnet, on behalf of the PfE Group, Nicolas Bay, on behalf of the ECR Group, Nathalie Loiseau, on behalf of the Renew Group, Markéta Gregorová, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Pernando Barrena Arza, on behalf of The Left Group, Stanislav Stoyanov, on behalf of the ESN Group, Reinhold Lopatka, Vasile Dîncu, Julie Rechagneux, Bert-Jan Ruissen, Helmut Brandstätter, Marie Toussaint, Marina Mesure, Sander Smit, Evin Incir, Paolo Inselvini, Tomislav Sokol and Marcos Ros Sempere. The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Sebastian Tynkkynen, Petras Gražulis and Lukas Sieper. The following spoke: Olivér Várhelyi. The debate closed. (The sitting was suspended at 11:14.) |
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IN THE CHAIR: Christel SCHALDEMOSE
The sitting resumed at 12:03. |
The competent German authorities had sent the President a request for Petr Bystron’s immunity to be waived in connection with judicial proceedings in Germany. Pursuant to Rule 9(1), the request had been referred to the committee responsible, in this case the JURI Committee. |
On the basis of a unanimous proposal by the JURI Committee issued at its meeting of 18 March 2025, Parliament verified the credentials of Sirpa Pietikäinen, Andi Cristea and Liudas Mažylis in accordance with Rule 3(4). ⁂ The following spoke: Anders Vistisen, Matthieu Valet and Tomasz Froelich, on certain amendments tabled (the President provided some clarifications). |
For detailed results of the votes, see also ‘Results of votes’ and ‘Results of roll-call votes’. |
Report on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an EU talent pool [COM(2023)0716 – C9-0413/2023 – 2023/0404(COD)] – Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. Rapporteur: Abir Al-Sahlani (A10-0045/2025) (This document is not available in all languages) (Majority of the votes cast) DECISION TO ENTER INTO INTERINSTITUTIONAL NEGOTIATIONS (request by the PfE, ECR, The Left and ESN Groups to put this decision to the vote) (Rule 72) Approved Detailed voting results
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Report on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Decision 2003/17/EC as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in the Republic of Moldova on fodder plant seed-producing crops and on the equivalence of fodder plant seed produced in the Republic of Moldova, and as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in Ukraine on beet seed-producing crops and oil plant seed-producing crops and on the equivalence of beet seed and oil plant seed produced in Ukraine [COM(2024)0052 – C9-0026/2024 – 2024/0027(COD)] – Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. Rapporteur: Veronika Vrecionová (A10-0043/2025) (This document is not available in all languages) (Majority of the votes cast) DECISION TO ENTER INTO INTERINSTITUTIONAL NEGOTIATIONS (request by the PfE Group to put this decision to the vote) (Rule 72) Approved Detailed voting results
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Report on Parliament’s estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2026 [2024/2111(BUI)] – Committee on Budgets. Rapporteur: Matjaž Nemec (A10-0048/2025) MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION Adopted The following had spoken: Matjaž Nemec (rapporteur), before the vote, to make a statement under Rule 165(4). Detailed voting results
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Motions for resolutions RC-B10-0230/2025 (minutes of 3.4.2025, item I), B10-0230/2025, B10-0231/2025, B10-0232/2025, B10-0233/2025, B10-0234/2025, B10-0235/2025 and B10-0236/2025 (minutes of 2.4.2025, item I) (2025/2627(RSP)) (Majority of the votes cast) JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION Adopted (Motions for resolutions B10-0231/2025 and B10-0234/2025 fell.) Detailed voting results
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Motions for resolutions RC-B10-0220/2025 (minutes of 3.4.2025, item I), B10-0220/2025, B10-0222/2025, B10-0224/2025, B10-0225/2025 and B10-0226/2025 (minutes of 2.4.2025, item I) (2025/2628(RSP)) (Majority of the votes cast) JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION Adopted (Motion for a resolution B10-0222/2025 fell.) Detailed voting results
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Motions for resolutions RC-B10-0219/2025 (minutes of 3.4.2025, item I), B10-0218/2025, B10-0219/2025, B10-0221/2025, B10-0223/2025, B10-0227/2025 and B10-0229/2025 (minutes of 2.4.2025, item I) (2025/2628(RSP)) (Majority of the votes cast) JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION Adopted (Motion for a resolution B10-0218/2025 fell.) Detailed voting results
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Amending Directives (EU) 2022/2464 and (EU) 2024/1760 as regards the dates from which Member States are to apply certain corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements [COM(2025)0080 – C10-0038/2025 – 2025/0044(COD)] – Committee on Legal Affairs (Majority of the votes cast) PROPOSAL TO REJECT THE COMMISSION PROPOSAL Rejected COMMISSION PROPOSAL and AMENDMENTS Approved Parliament’s first reading thus closed. Detailed voting results
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Motion for a resolution B10-0209/2025 (minutes of 3.4.2025, item I) (2025/2536(RSP)) The debate had taken place on 2 April 2025 (minutes of 2.4.2025, item 4). (Majority of the votes cast) MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION Adopted The following had spoken: Pascale Piera, to move an oral amendment to add a new paragraph after paragraph 1. Parliament had not agreed to put the oral amendment to the vote as more than 39 Members had opposed it. Detailed voting results
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Motions for resolutions RC-B10-0211/2025, B10-0211/2025, B10-0212/2025, B10-0213/2025, B10-0214/2025, B10-0215/2025, B10-0216/2025 and B10-0217/2025 (minutes of 3.4.2025, item I) (2025/2612(RSP)) The debate had taken place on 1 April 2025 (minutes of 1.4.2025, item 17). (Majority of the votes cast) REQUEST FOR POSTPONEMENT (The Left Group) Rejected JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION Adopted (Motions for resolutions B10-0212/2025 and B10-0213/2025 fell.) The following had spoken: Marc Botenga, on behalf of The Left Group, before the vote, to request that the vote be postponed under Rule 206(4) and Patryk Jaki, against that request. Detailed voting results
9 (The sitting was suspended at 12:40.) |
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IN THE CHAIR: Javi LÓPEZ
The sitting resumed at 15:01. |
The minutes of the previous sitting were approved. |
Commission statement: Health care related tourism: protecting EU patients abroad (2025/2640(RSP)) Olivér Várhelyi (Member of the Commission) made the statement. The following spoke: Tomislav Sokol, on behalf of the PPE Group, Maria Grapini, on behalf of the S&D Group, Margarita de la Pisa Carrión, on behalf of the PfE Group, Michele Picaro, on behalf of the ECR Group, Billy Kelleher, on behalf of the Renew Group, Valentina Palmisano, on behalf of The Left Group, Siegbert Frank Droese, on behalf of the ESN Group, Seán Kelly, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú and Liudas Mažylis. The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Bogdan Rzońca, Lukas Sieper and Alvise Pérez. The following spoke: Olivér Várhelyi. The debate closed. |
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Seán Kelly |
In accordance with Rule 201, written explanations of the vote could be found on the Members’ pages on Parliament’s website. |
In accordance with Rule 208(3), the minutes of the sitting would be put to the House for approval at the start of the next sitting. With Parliament’s agreement, the texts adopted during the part-session would be forwarded to their respective addressees without delay. |
The next part-session would be held from 5 May 2025 to 8 May 2025. |
The sitting closed at 15:39. |
The session of the European Parliament was adjourned.
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| LIST OF DOCUMENTS SERVING AS A BASIS FOR THE DEBATES AND DECISIONS OF PARLIAMENT |
Prosecution of journalists in Cameroon, notably the cases of Amadou Vamoulké, Kingsley Fomunyuy Njoka, Mancho Bibixy, Thomas Awah Junior, Tsi Conrad Joint motion for a resolution tabled under Rule 150(5) and Rule 136(4): on the prosecution of journalists in Cameroon, notably the cases of Amadou Vamoulké, Kingsley Fomunyuy Njoka, Mancho Bibixy, Thomas Awah Junior and Tsi Conrad (2025/2627(RSP)) (RC-B10-0230/2025) Execution spree in Iran and the confirmation of the death sentences of activists Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani Joint motion for a resolution tabled under Rule 150(5) and Rule 136(4): on the execution spree in Iran and confirmation of the death sentences of activists Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani (2025/2628(RSP)) (RC-B10-0220/2025) Immediate risk of further repression by Lukashenka’s regime in Belarus – threats from the Investigative Committee Joint motion for a resolution tabled under Rule 150(5) and Rule 136(4): on the immediate risk of further repression by Lukashenka’s regime in Belarus – threats from the Investigative Committee (2025/2629(RSP)) (RC-B10-0219/2025) Energy-intensive industries Motions for resolutions tabled under Rule 136(2) to wind up the debate: on energy-intensive industries (2025/2536(RSP)) (B10-0209/2025) Targeted attacks against Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – defending religious freedom and security Motions for resolutions tabled under Rule 136(2) to wind up the debate: on the targeted attacks against Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: defending religious freedom and security (2025/2612(RSP)) (B10-0211/2025) on targeted attacks against Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – defending religious freedom and security (2025/2612(RSP)) (B10-0212/2025) on the targeted attacks against Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: defending religious freedom and security (2025/2612(RSP)) (B10-0213/2025) on the targeted attacks against Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: defending religious freedom and security (2025/2612(RSP)) (B10-0214/2025) on the targeted attacks against Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: defending religious freedom and security (2025/2612(RSP)) (B10-0215/2025) on the targeted attacks against Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: defending religious freedom and security (2025/2612(RSP)) (B10-0216/2025) on targeted attacks against Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: defending religious freedom and security (2025/2612(RSP)) (B10-0217/2025) Joint motion for a resolution tabled under Rule 136(2) and (4): on the targeted attacks against Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: defending religious freedom and security (2025/2612(RSP)) (B10-0211/2025) |
Petitions Nos 0260-25 to 0376-25 had been entered in the register on 28 March 2025 and had been forwarded to the committee responsible, in accordance with Rule 232(9) and (10). The President had, on 28 March 2025, forwarded to the committee responsible, in accordance with Rule 232(15), petitions addressed to the European Parliament by natural or legal persons who were not citizens of the European Union and who did not reside, or have their registered office, in a Member State. |
Decisions to draw up own-initiative reports (Rule 55) (Following the Conference of Presidents’ decision of 26 March 2025) AFCO Committee – Implementation of the Charter on Fundamental Rights of the European Union in the EU legal framework (2025/2075(INI)) AFET, DEVE committees – Global Gateway – past impacts and future orientation (2025/2073(INI)) CONT Committee – Evaluating the successes achieved and lessons learned from EU enlargements since 2004 in the implementation of the EU budget (2025/2071(INI)) ECON Committee – Access to finance for SMEs and scale-ups (2025/2072(INI)) FEMM Committee – Gender inequalities in health, specifically as regards gender-specific conditions (2025/2074(INI)) Decisions to draw up own-initiative reports (Rules 55 and 213) (Following the Conference of Presidents’ decision of 26 March 2025) EUDS Special Committee – Findings and recommendations of the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield (2025/2069(INI)) HOUS Special Committee – Housing crisis in the European Union with the aim of proposing solutions for decent, sustainable and affordable housing (2025/2070(INI)) |
Reports with a motion for a non-legislative resolution (Rule 107(2)) (Following notification by the Conference of Committee Chairs on 26 March 2025) INTA Committee – The termination of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) between the EU and the Republic of Cameroon on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber and timber products to the European Union (FLEGT) (2024/0245M(NLE) – 2024/0245(NLE)) |
The following documents had been received: 1) from other institutions – Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EU) 2015/1017, (EU) 2021/523, (EU) 2021/695 and (EU) 2021/1153 as regards increasing the efficiency of the EU guarantee under Regulation (EU) 2021/523 and simplifying reporting requirements (COM(2025)0084 – C10-0036/2025 – 2025/0040(COD)) 2) from Members – Catherine Griset. Motion for a resolution on promoting knowledge learning and transfer in the crafts and heritage restoration professions (B10-0153/2025) – Beatrice Timgren. Motion for a resolution on reassessing the European Green Deal: innovation before costly emission cuts (B10-0170/2025) – Virginie Joron. Motion for a resolution on the annulment of the elections in Romania (B10-0172/2025) – Ľuboš Blaha, Fernand Kartheiser, Hans Neuhoff, Friedrich Pürner, Şerban Dimitrie Sturdza, Filip Turek, Claudiu-Richard Târziu, Milan Uhrík and Petar Volgin. Motion for a resolution on the deteriorating rule of law situation in Romania (B10-0173/2025) – Christine Anderson, Anja Arndt, René Aust, Arno Bausemer, Zsuzsanna Borvendég, Irmhild Boßdorf, Markus Buchheit, Petr Bystron, Ivan David, Ondřej Dostál, Tomasz Froelich, Petras Gražulis, Roman Haider, Gerald Hauser, Marc Jongen, Alexander Jungbluth, Mary Khan, Maximilian Krah, Rada Laykova, Luis-Vicențiu Lazarus, Milan Mazurek, Alexander Sell, Petra Steger, Stanislav Stoyanov, Marcin Sypniewski and Stanisław Tyszka. Motion for a resolution on political repression and fundamental rights in Bulgaria (B10-0198/2025) |
| ATTENDANCE REGISTER | |
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Present: Aaltola Mika, Adamowicz Magdalena, Aftias Georgios, Agirregoitia Martínez Oihane, Agius Peter, Agius Saliba Alex, Alexandraki Galato, Allione Grégory, Al-Sahlani Abir, Anadiotis Nikolaos, Anderson Christine, Andersson Li, Andresen Rasmus, Andrews Barry, Andriukaitis Vytenis Povilas, Angel Marc, Annemans Gerolf, Annunziata Lucia, Arias Echeverría Pablo, Arimont Pascal, Arłukowicz Bartosz, Arnaoutoglou Sakis, Arndt Anja, Arvanitis Konstantinos, Asens Llodrà Jaume, Assis Francisco, Attard Daniel, Aubry Manon, Auštrevičius Petras, Azmani Malik, Bajada Thomas, Baljeu Jeannette, Ballarín Cereza Laura, Bardella Jordan, Barley Katarina, Barna Dan, Barrena Arza Pernando, Bartulica Stephen Nikola, Bartůšek Nikola, Bausemer Arno, Bay Nicolas, Bay Christophe, Beke Wouter, Beleris Fredis, Bellamy François-Xavier, Benjumea Benjumea Isabel, Berendsen Tom, Berger Stefan, Berlato Sergio, Bernhuber Alexander, Biedroń Robert, Bielan Adam, Bischoff Gabriele, Blaha Ľuboš, Blinkevičiūtė Vilija, Blom Rachel, Bloss Michael, Bocheński Tobiasz, Boeselager Damian, Bogdan Ioan-Rareş, Bonaccini Stefano, Bonte Barbara, Borchia Paolo, Borrás Pabón Mireia, Borvendég Zsuzsanna, Bosanac Gordan, Boßdorf Irmhild, Bosse Stine, Botenga Marc, Boyer Gilles, Boylan Lynn, Brandstätter Helmut, Brasier-Clain Marie-Luce, Braun Grzegorz, Brejza Krzysztof, Bricmont Saskia, Brnjac Nikolina, Brudziński Joachim Stanisław, Buchheit Markus, Buczek Tomasz, Buda Daniel, Buda Waldemar, Budka Borys, Bugalho Sebastião, Buła Andrzej, Bullmann Udo, Burkhardt Delara, Buxadé Villalba Jorge, Bystron Petr, Bžoch Jaroslav, Camara Mélissa, Canfin Pascal, Carberry Nina, Cârciu Gheorghe, Carême Damien, Casa David, Caspary Daniel, Castillo Laurent, Cavazzini Anna, Cavedagna Stefano, Ceccardi Susanna, Cepeda José, Ceulemans Estelle, Chahim Mohammed, Chaibi Leila, Chastel Olivier, Chinnici Caterina, Christensen Asger, Ciccioli Carlo, Cifrová Ostrihoňová Veronika, Ciriani Alessandro, Clausen Per, Clergeau Christophe, Cormand David, Corrado Annalisa, Costanzo Vivien, Cotrim De Figueiredo João, Cowen Barry, Cremer Tobias, Crespo Díaz Carmen, Cristea Andi, Crosetto Giovanni, Cunha Paulo, Dahl Henrik, Danielsson Johan, Dávid Dóra, David Ivan, Decaro Antonio, de la Hoz Quintano Raúl, Della Valle Danilo, Deloge Valérie, De Masi Fabio, De Meo Salvatore, Demirel Özlem, Devaux Valérie, Dibrani Adnan, Diepeveen Ton, Dieringer Elisabeth, Dîncu Vasile, Di Rupo Elio, Disdier Mélanie, Dobrev Klára, Doherty Regina, Doleschal Christian, Dömötör Csaba, Do Nascimento Cabral Paulo, Donazzan Elena, Dorfmann Herbert, Dostalova Klara, Dostál Ondřej, Droese Siegbert Frank, Düpont Lena, Dworczyk Michał, Ecke Matthias, Ehler Christian, Ehlers Marieke, Eriksson Sofie, Erixon Dick, Eroglu Engin, Estaràs Ferragut Rosa, Everding Sebastian, Ezcurra Almansa Alma, Falcă Gheorghe, Falcone Marco, Farantouris Nikolas, Farreng Laurence, Ferber Markus, Ferenc Viktória, Fernández Jonás, Firmenich Ruth, Flanagan Luke Ming, Fourlas Loucas, Fourreau Emma, Fragkos Emmanouil, Freund Daniel, Frigout Anne-Sophie, Friis Sigrid, Fritzon Heléne, Froelich Tomasz, Fuglsang Niels, Funchion Kathleen, Furet Angéline, Furore Mario, Gahler Michael, Galán Estrella, Gálvez Lina, Gambino Alberico, García Hermida-Van Der Walle Raquel, Garraud Jean-Paul, Gasiuk-Pihowicz Kamila, Geadi Geadis, Gedin Hanna, Geese Alexandra, Geier Jens, Geisel Thomas, Gemma Chiara, Gerbrandy Gerben-Jan, Germain Jean-Marc, Gerzsenyi Gabriella, Geuking Niels, Gieseke Jens, Giménez Larraz Borja, Girauta Vidal Juan Carlos, Glavak Sunčana, Glück Andreas, Glucksmann Raphaël, Goerens Charles, Gomart Christophe, Gómez López Sandra, Gonçalves Bruno, Gonçalves Sérgio, González Casares Nicolás, González Pons Esteban, Gori Giorgio, Gosiewska Małgorzata, Gotink Dirk, Gozi Sandro, Grapini Maria, Gražulis Petras, Gregorová Markéta, Grims Branko, Griset Catherine, Gronkiewicz-Waltz Hanna, Groothuis Bart, Grossmann Elisabeth, Grudler Christophe, Gualmini Elisabetta, Guarda Cristina, Guetta Bernard, Guzenina Maria, Győri Enikő, Gyürk András, Hadjipantela Michalis, Haider Roman, Halicki Andrzej, Hansen Niels Flemming, Hassan Rima, Hauser Gerald, Häusling Martin, Hava Mircea-Gheorghe, Heide Hannes, Heinäluoma Eero, Herbst Niclas, Herranz García Esther, Hetman Krzysztof, Hohlmeier Monika, Hojsík Martin, Holmgren Pär, Homs Ginel Alicia, Humberto Sérgio, Ijabs Ivars, Imart Céline, Incir Evin, Inselvini Paolo, Iovanovici Şoşoacă Diana, Jalloul Muro Hana, Jamet France, Jarubas Adam, Jerković Romana, Jongen Marc, Joński Dariusz, Joron Virginie, Jouvet Pierre, Joveva Irena, Juknevičienė Rasa, Junco García Nora, Jungbluth Alexander, Kalfon François, Kaliňák Erik, Kaljurand Marina, Kalniete Sandra, Kamiński Mariusz, Kanev Radan, Kanko Assita, Karlsbro Karin, Kartheiser Fernand, Karvašová Ľubica, Katainen Elsi, Kefalogiannis Emmanouil, Kelleher Billy, Keller Fabienne, Kelly Seán, Kemp Martine, Kennes Rudi, Khan Mary, Kircher Sophia, Knafo Sarah, Knotek Ondřej, Kohut Łukasz, Kolář Ondřej, Kollár Kinga, Kols Rihards, Konečná Kateřina, Kopacz Ewa, Körner Moritz, Kountoura Elena, Kovařík Ondřej, Kovatchev Andrey, Krištopans Vilis, Kruis Sebastian, Krutílek Ondřej, Kubín Tomáš, Kuhnke Alice, Kulja András Tivadar, Kulmuni Katri, Kyllönen Merja, Kyuchyuk Ilhan, Lakos Eszter, Lalucq Aurore, Lange Bernd, Langensiepen Katrin, Laššáková Judita, László András, Latinopoulou Afroditi, Laureti Camilla, Laykova Rada, Lazarov Ilia, Lazarus Luis-Vicențiu, Le Callennec Isabelle, Leggeri Fabrice, Lenaers Jeroen, Leonardelli Julien, Lewandowski Janusz, Lexmann Miriam, Liese Peter, Lins Norbert, Loiseau Nathalie, Løkkegaard Morten, Lopatka Reinhold, López Javi, López Aguilar Juan Fernando, Lövin Isabella, Luena César, Łukacijewska Elżbieta Katarzyna, Lupo Giuseppe, McAllister David, Maestre Cristina, Magoni Lara, Maij Marit, Maląg Marlena, Manda Claudiu, Mandl Lukas, Maniatis Yannis, Mantovani Mario, Maran Pierfrancesco, Marczułajtis-Walczak Jagna, Mariani Thierry, Marino Ignazio Roberto, Marquardt Erik, Martins Catarina, Marzà Ibáñez Vicent, Mato Gabriel, Matthieu Sara, Mavrides Costas, Mayer Georg, Mazurek Milan, Mažylis Liudas, McNamara Michael, Mebarek Nora, Mehnert Alexandra, Meimarakis Vangelis, Mendia Idoia, Mertens Verena, Mesure Marina, Metsola Roberta, Metz Tilly, Mikser Sven, Millán Mon Francisco José, Miranda Paz Ana, Molnár Csaba, Montero Irene, Montserrat Dolors, Morace Carolina, Morano Nadine, Moratti Letizia, Moreira de Sá Tiago, Moreno Sánchez Javier, Moretti Alessandra, Motreanu Dan-Ştefan, Mularczyk Arkadiusz, Müller Piotr, Mureşan Siegfried, Muşoiu Ştefan, Nagyová Jana, Nardella Dario, Navarrete Rojas Fernando, Nemec Matjaž, Nerudová Danuše, Nesci Denis, Neuhoff Hans, Neumann Hannah, Nevado del Campo Elena, Niebler Angelika, Niedermayer Luděk, Niinistö Ville, Nikolic Aleksandar, Ní Mhurchú Cynthia, Noichl Maria, Nordqvist Rasmus, Novakov Andrey, Nykiel Mirosława, Obajtek Daniel, Ódor Ľudovít, Oetjen Jan-Christoph, Ohisalo Maria, Oliveira João, Omarjee Younous, Ó Ríordáin Aodhán, Orlando Leoluca, Ozdoba Jacek, Paet Urmas, Pajín Leire, Palmisano Valentina, Panayiotou Fidias, Papadakis Kostas, Papandreou Nikos, Pappas Nikos, Pascual de la Parte Nicolás, Patriciello Aldo, Paulus Jutta, Pedulla’ Gaetano, Pellerin-Carlin Thomas, Peltier Guillaume, Penkova Tsvetelina, Pennelle Gilles, Pereira Lídia, Pérez Alvise, Peter-Hansen Kira Marie, Petrov Hristo, Picaro Michele, Picula Tonino, Piera Pascale, Pietikäinen Sirpa, Pimpie Pierre, de la Pisa Carrión Margarita, Polato Daniele, Polfjärd Jessica, Popescu Virgil-Daniel, Pozņaks Reinis, Prebilič Vladimir, Princi Giusi, Protas Jacek, Rackete Carola, Radtke Dennis, Rafowicz Emma, Ratas Jüri, Rechagneux Julie, Regner Evelyn, Repasi René, Repp Sabrina, Ressler Karlo, Reuten Thijs, Riba i Giner Diana, Ricci Matteo, Ripa Manuela, Rodrigues André, Ros Sempere Marcos, Roth Neveďalová Katarína, Rougé André, Ruissen Bert-Jan, Ruotolo Sandro, Rzońca Bogdan, Saeidi Arash, Salini Massimiliano, Salis Ilaria, Salla Aura, Sánchez Amor Nacho, Sanchez Julien, Sancho Murillo Elena, Saramo Jussi, Sardone Silvia, Šarec Marjan, Sargiacomo Eric, Satouri Mounir, Saudargas Paulius, Sbai Majdouline, Sberna Antonella, Schaldemose Christel, Schaller-Baross Ernő, Schenk Oliver, Scheuring-Wielgus Joanna, Schieder Andreas, Schilling Lena, Schneider Christine, Schwab Andreas, Seekatz Ralf, Sell Alexander, Serrano Sierra Rosa, Serra Sánchez Isabel, Sidl Günther, Sienkiewicz Bartłomiej, Sieper Lukas, Simon Sven, Singer Christine, Sinkevičius Virginijus, Sjöstedt Jonas, Śmiszek Krzysztof, Smith Anthony, Smit Sander, Sokol Tomislav, Solier Diego, Solís Pérez Susana, Sommen Liesbet, Sonneborn Martin, Sorel Malika, Sousa Silva Hélder, Søvndal Villy, Squarta Marco, Staķis Mārtiņš, Stancanelli Raffaele, Ştefănuță Nicolae, Steger Petra, Stier Davor Ivo, Storm Kristoffer, Stöteler Sebastiaan, Stoyanov Stanislav, Strada Cecilia, Streit Joachim, Strik Tineke, Strolenberg Anna, Sturdza Şerban Dimitrie, Stürgkh Anna, Szczerba Michał, Szekeres Pál, Szydło Beata, Tamburrano Dario, Tânger Corrêa António, Tarczyński Dominik, Tarquinio Marco, Tarr Zoltán, Târziu Claudiu-Richard, Tavares Carla, Tegethoff Kai, Temido Marta, Teodorescu Georgiana, Terheş Cristian, Ter Laak Ingeborg, Terras Riho, Tertsch Hermann, Thionnet Pierre-Romain, Timgren Beatrice, Tinagli Irene, Tobback Bruno, Tobé Tomas, Tolassy Rody, Tomac Eugen, Tomašič Zala, Tomaszewski Waldemar, Tomc Romana, Tonin Matej, Toom Jana, Topo Raffaele, Torselli Francesco, Tosi Flavio, Toussaint Marie, Tovaglieri Isabella, Toveri Pekka, Tridico Pasquale, Tsiodras Dimitris, Turek Filip, Tynkkynen Sebastian, Uhrík Milan, Ušakovs Nils, Vaidere Inese, Valchev Ivaylo, Valet Matthieu, Van Brempt Kathleen, Van Brug Anouk, Vandendriessche Tom, Van Dijck Kris, Van Lanschot Reinier, Van Leeuwen Jessika, Vannacci Roberto, Van Overtveldt Johan, Van Sparrentak Kim, Varaut Alexandre, Vasconcelos Ana, Vasile-Voiculescu Vlad, Vautmans Hilde, Vedrenne Marie-Pierre, Ventola Francesco, Veryga Aurelijus, Vešligaj Marko, Vicsek Annamária, Vieira Catarina, Vigenin Kristian, Vilimsky Harald, Vincze Loránt, Vind Marianne, Vistisen Anders, Vivaldini Mariateresa, Volgin Petar, von der Schulenburg Michael, Vondra Alexandr, Voss Axel, Vrecionová Veronika, Vázquez Lázara Adrián, Waitz Thomas, Walsh Maria, Walsmann Marion, Warborn Jörgen, Warnke Jan-Peter, Wąsik Maciej, Wawrykiewicz Michał, Wechsler Andrea, Weimers Charlie, Werbrouck Séverine, Wiezik Michal, Winkler Iuliu, Winzig Angelika, Wiseler-Lima Isabel, Wiśniewska Jadwiga, Wolters Lara, Yar Lucia, Yon-Courtin Stéphanie, Yoncheva Elena, Zacharia Maria, Zalewska Anna, Žalimas Dainius, Zan Alessandro, Zarzalejos Javier, Zdechovský Tomáš, Zdrojewski Bogdan Andrzej, Zijlstra Auke, Zīle Roberts, Zingaretti Nicola, Złotowski Kosma, Zovko Željana, Zver Milan |
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